


Naruto: The World As We Know It

by aika111333



Category: Naruto, Naruto The Abridged Comedy Fandub Spoof Series Show
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-04
Updated: 2017-07-17
Packaged: 2018-10-27 23:36:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 17
Words: 54,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10819119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aika111333/pseuds/aika111333
Summary: The fate of the Alliance Shinobi lies on the last battle against Madara Uchiha. Something changed the world as we know it. Setting the story 5 years after the Fourth War, Naruto, Sasuke & Sakura put their lives on the line to save what they believe, what is right for the world and above all, for peace. But there is something dwell within the secret of truth within the truth.





	1. Chapter 1

** PROLOGUE **

A blonde man stood before her, staring ahead at the beast that was destroying their precious village. Wind carried the hot chakra, intense with negative energy. That much she could sense. Even in starless night, she could see the village engulfed in flames; houses burning forming thick smoke covering the sky. She could hear the cries and wailing sound of the villagers calling for their love ones; crying for those they have found survived or those that have died.

“I need to seal the beast,” the man said.

 _Impossible. With what?_ She thought. She looked at his back, thinking of the entire burden he must carry. Even though he was the one who started it all, he was just a man.

“You can’t do this alone,” she argued, “Let me help you.”

“For the sake of the village and its people… For peace…” he quoted.

It was those damn same words again. She hated him for saying it every time. He was willing to risk his life for peace. Still, he was just one man.

“Wait-” she cried.

But he was already gone from her sights.

* * *

Sakura gasped as she woke up. Although the air was cool, she was sweating heavily. Her breathing quickens. She couldn’t find her voice but her hand was trembling and reaching for…

Nothing.

She looked around her chamber. Everything was the same as before. No existence of a burning village or a beast.

“A nightmare,” she breathed slowly.

Tears rolled down her cheeks and she quickly wiped it away, erasing any trace of her weakness. It was the same dream- a beast destroying a village, a blonde man stood in front of her, telling her that he needed to seal the beast. There was nothing she could do but to witness every death.

A loud knock on the door startled her and she quickly covered herself with the bed sheet before the door was opened. There wasn’t a need to guess who it was.

“You’re up,” said the man who was leaning against the door.

“I couldn’t sleep,” she answered coldly.

“Get dress. It’s time.”

Sakura clinched her fist. She hated being used, but this was a deal she has made with _him_.

“I’m not strong enough and my body is sore. Too much has been taken from me. I need time to mend my chakra.”

“There’s no need for that. That seal on your forehead is enough. Come or I’ll drag you out, regardless if you’re dressed or not.”

The man was unfazed by her excuses. He was very slick and his choices of words were too good to be true. Sakura knew that he was the type who could not be easily defeated, especially with words. Everything that came out from his mouth was bad influence. _Pain_ was an example of it. The man used psychology and manipulation as a weapon to poison other’s minds, turning everything that is good into bad. Indeed, that very same devil-

“Obito,” Sakura looked directly to his disfigured face, especially at his eyes, Sharingan on the left and Rinnegan on the right. Those eyes could be a blissful gift or a curse, depends on the user. Such luck for someone like Obito owned both. “You’re playing a game that you cannot possibly win.”

Obito neither utter a word nor move. His eyes followed her as she moved behind the screen. And when Sakura was finally dressed, he still calmly stood exactly where he was, all gloomy and staring back at her. It was not those eyes that scared her. It was his silence, that to one’s perspective, it might look as if he has nothing to say. She knew better. In truth, Obito’s mind was calculating with either strategies or proper things to say that could intelligently make her eat her own words.

“What makes you say that?” he curiously asked.

“Well, first, you’re an army of two. If you plan to defeat the current Shinobi Alliance, it is obviously you will lose. Don’t you think that make sense?”

“Hmm… You’re right. We are short of manpower. But years ago, I managed to tremble the world of shinobi and instil fear with Akatsuki.”

Indeed. It all started with the Akatsuki, a group of rogue ninjas. Their sole purpose was to collect the tail beasts. Pain who was blessed with Rinnegan was the leader of that group. He, along with his comrades, had caused chaos throughout not just Konoha but other hidden villages as well. He was the one who attacked Konoha in attempt to take the Nine Tails Beast and he boldly attacked the village at point zero. But Pain wasn’t the real leader. He was just a puppet. Like the others before him, he was used. The one who pulled all the strings was responsible for everything that has happened in this shinobi world. And that bastard was standing right in front of her.

“To collect the beasts and its cost,” she added.

“Yes. Collecting those beasts was troublesome and I have reasons. Unfortunately, it came at a price of my fellow comrades.”

Sakura scoffed. “Do you even have the rights to call those you used as ‘comrades’? Was it worth it?”

 “I wouldn’t use the word ‘worth’ in a negative way.” He cocked his head to the side and grinned. “I would rather call it beneficial because all in all, it came along with war, fear, blood, death and of course, _Jūbi_.”

Five years ago, Obito declared war against the five great Shinobi countries to draw out the Eight and Nine Tails Beasts so that he could steal them under the Kages’ noses. It was all for the sake of his plan: _Tsuki no Me Keikaku_ , The Eye of the Moon Plan. His intention was to combine everything and use this jutsu so that the shinobi world was him to rule. And to do that, he needed to revive the Ten Tails Beast.

Those were the dark days and Sakura wishes not to discuss it openly. It has brought nothing but a constant reminder of the past. The very reason why she was here with Obito was due to that war itself. She knew it, and he knew her.

Sakura lost her cool and threw a punch at Obito but it went through him. He suddenly caught her arms and pulled her closer to him, eyes were levelled to his. She could feel his breath on her skin. His touch was as cold as the dead. He smiled a devilish smile.

“Know your reasons for being here. Know your pain and everyone else’s, Sakura, for you are under me. You agreed with those luscious lips of yours.”

“Stop it! Let me go!”

Obito released her and she clumsily fell to the floor. Their eyes glared upon each other, promising nothing but hatred.

“You know… there is something in you I admired about. Something stronger and deeper than the Will of Fire and I’m very tempted to push your limits to find that out. However, now is not the time. And as mean as you think I am, I shall not fall to that level.” He held out his hand to her as she struggled to stand up. She quickly brushed his help away. “Stubborn to the core.”

“Tell me, Obito. Your plan, _Tsuki no Me Keikaku_ , was all of it a hoax?”

His silence gave it away but Sakura waited patiently for his answer anyway.

“You’ll see soon enough,” he said and walked away, expecting her to follow.

Sakura watched as he disappeared down the corner of the hallway. She was right. Uchiha Obito was the type of man who could not be easily persuaded or defeated with words or skills. Everything with him was still vague. The time was neither right nor perfect to strike back. Hence, she must wait patiently for she has the intention to strike the enemy where it would hurt most.

 

* * *

 

** PART 1 **

_One of the hardest lessons in life is letting go._

_Whether it’s guilt, anger, love, loss or betrayal._

_Change is never easy._

_We fight to hold on and we fight to let go._

_If you’ve been hurt until it breaks your soul into pieces,_

_Your perspective in life will definitely change,_

_And no one and nothing in this world could ever hurt you again._

                                                                                                 -       Mareez Reyes

 

* * *

 

** CHAPTER 1 **

 

UCHIHA RESIDENCE,

KONOHA

Uchiha Sasuke looked up to the full moon as he pressed himself into deep thoughts about the village- the Uchiha clan and most of all, his brother. He had spent the whole afternoon walking around the destroyed hometown. This place was filled with many who shared his bloodline once.

Now, there was only him.

He had visited whatever was left of Konoha’s Military Police Force. The police system was originally founded by the Second Hokage. Although the power was for the good will of the village, in truth, the system has an ulterior motive. Its purpose was to keep an eye on the Uchiha. Sasuke felt that Senju Tobirama was being unfair and callous. The man knew that the Uchiha are very proud and sensitive clan and yet the bastard didn’t care. Which left to wonder if the Second should be blamed for everything that has happened.

Clouds covering the moon, casting shadows upon the landscape of Konoha. After the Fourth War, Sasuke was given a choice: to relocate or maintain his residence at the Uchiha hometown. It was a stupid question. Why would he give up his huge piece of land for a smaller place? Then again, everything here was a scar memory of his childhood.

The massacre of the Uchiha clan was executed by none other than Uchiha Itachi. The very same man whom Sasuke loved most. To him, Itachi was a true shinobi and admittedly, a better ninja in both intelligence and skills than anyone else.

Revenge was sweet until to the point where Sasuke had finally learned the truth. The reason why he was still alive- Itachi’s love for Sasuke measured greater than the village itself. He wanted his little brother to live and was the only person who could judge him when the time came for his death. With that, the little brother of his would be known as the hero of Konoha and would solely revive and cleanse the Uchiha Clan.

“But plans don’t go accordingly as planned,” Sasuke muttered as he thought about what his brother had gone through. “Nee-san is not to be blamed.”

Sasuke walked towards the porch for a short break. Moulding chakra and forming it with nature ability was easy. He managed to take it to the highest level of _Chidori_ , namely _Kirin_. But what he has in mind was a combination of a new technique: moulding chakra with the bind of fire and lightning elements. He knew that combining two elements as one has stronger effect. Fire and wind could create supernova. Wind and water could create a hurricane if properly mould. But to mould chakra and combine two elements with, was never heard of.

_Yes. Never heard of but not impossible._

Sasuke sighed. His backyard was a mess. It was full of damage woods, spinsters, burned ground and deep holes due to his trials and errors. He had planned to renovate his house, including this backyard. But his schedule was affixed with missions and meetings with the Hokage and the Kages of the other Villages that he didn’t have the time to do so. So, instead of ‘cleaning things up’, he ended up making more of a mess.

“Everything seems so vast and empty,” Sasuke spoke out loud. His eyes suddenly drifted to the tree on the left and with hidden weapons underneath his sleeves, he threw three shuriken at a target. The shuriken deflected and fell thud to the ground. “Naruto, ka? What do you want, dobe?”

“Asshole! Who are you calling ‘dobe’, dobe?!” The loudest and the most unpredictable ninja shouted back. “And what kind of ‘hello’ was that?! One doesn’t throw things when one has a visitor! You supposed to offer food or tea, ya know?!”

Sasuke looked up at his only friend. The bastard looked like a thing that clings onto a tree while complaining about etiquettes. He shook his head and said, “Seriously? If you have something important to discuss, speak now. Or else, go away.”

Naruto jumped and made it to the ground to greet his nakama. He was still in his gear- orange and black tracksuit. He must have returned from a mission that Sasuke decided to pass. It was not important. So, he left it to Naruto instead.

“I was on my way home,” he claimed and smiled while acted all cool and composed, “So, I decided to check on you.”

Uzumaki, Naruto- The boy everyone once hated and despised. After the Fourth Hokage had sealed the Kyūbi in him, most of the villagers resented him for the death of their beloved Hokage, and for containing the beast that had destroyed their home. Some of them looked at him as though he was the tailed beast itself. But after the Akatsuki invasion and the Fourth War, people see him as the hero of both Konoha and the Shinobi world. Whenever people came up to greet him, he would smile and be cheerful as he could be. But Sasuke saw through all that façade. People didn’t see what was truly in Naruto’s heart or how he had struggled while growing up.

_A shinobi means to endure._

“You’re not a very good liar, dobe. Your house is on the other side of the village. What kind of On-Your-Way-Home route did you take?”

“Ah,” Naruto scratched his head, “you noticed.”

“It’s not that I noticed it. It’s basically common sense.”

“Why you-”

Sasuke threw a kunai as a sign of challenge. Naruto immediately caught it with his bare hand. He tightened the knot of his forehead protector while Sasuke prepared his Kusanagi sword. There wasn’t a need to use the Sharingan. As always, Naruto was the impatient one and made the first strike. The kunai, binding with wind chakra, contacted Sasuke’s sword. Metal against metal- every stroke produced a cling sound. Naruto jumped in mid-air, throwing everything that he got. His punch and kick were faster but Sasuke managed to block and avoid all of it. Naruto then lowered his body closest to the ground and slide kicked, attempting to make Sasuke trip. But his nakama gracefully jumped. Sasuke twirled his body in mid-air, sword aiming down to his sparring partner.

“ _Kage_ _Bunshin No Jutsu_!” Naruto chanted and two clones appeared. One of them helped forming Rasengan while the other jumped to attack Sasuke at point blank as a distraction.

Sasuke used his sword, binding it with lightning chakra and slashed it out at the clone. Without holding anything back, Naruto jumped and hit his friend with a Rasengan. The Uchiha screamed in pain.

“Yes, I did it!” Naruto celebrated. However, his celebration was cut short for what was originally thought was his friend has turned out to be a wood. “Eh?! A replacement jutsu?”

“I don’t believe it. After all these years, you still fall for that same old trick. Are you really the _Hero of Konoha_?” Naruto followed Sasuke’s voice. The Uchiha stood on the roof, observing.

“You effortless piece of shit! It’s damn annoying that you’re up there and extremely calm! Now you’ve pissed me off! I may not be on the top of my game today since I’d just returned from a mission that _YOU_ lazy to take on. I’m definitely going to kick your ass, buddy!”

“In a million years,” Sasuke smirked.

And so, the two strongest of Konoha continued to battle it out. Neither one of them giving up their weaknesses, up to the point when neither of them has any energy left to fight.

“What’s truly on your mind?” Sasuke asked. He sat on the roof to catch his breath. Naruto came to sit beside him. He took off his jacket and put it aside.

“It’s Sakura-chan.”

Just two phrases and a deep tone voice, Sasuke knew that Naruto was in a serious mood to talk. He studied the expression of his dear friend who was currently staring ahead at the moon. Not a while ago, he did the same thing. But he was thinking about the past, whereas Naruto was concerned about the present, Sakura especially. The boy that once hated the village for regarding him like dirt, managed to find peace.

 _Naruto is being Naruto_ , he thought.

“What about her?”

“I’m getting restless,” Naruto confessed. “We need to find her. I can’t-”

“What did you find out from the mission so far?”

“Eh…?” he was dumbfounded at the sudden change of topic. “Well, nothing that is important. The Kazekage wanted us to deliver a top-secret parcel to the Hokage.”

“No news about that masked man?”

“Afraid not.”

“So how are we to find her?”

“I don’t know! Look, it’s been five years. FIVE YEARS! There’s been no word, no evidence of him or Sakura-chan. Not even a whisper or a trace! We must find her! I can’t-” Naruto choked. He clenched his fist and finally lowered his head and his voice, “I can’t sit here while that trash held her as a hostage.”

“Neither do I,” Sasuke claimed as his eyes focused on the moon.

“Her father came to me and asked if there was any news about Sakura-chan. I hate the fact that every single time when I faced him, my answer would be ‘no’ and forced to look at his disappointment. Even though it wasn’t directly to me, still…” he paused, “I must do something. Once I get my hands on that son-of-a-”

“Uchiha Obito is a man you mustn’t underestimate. He is a very skillful man.” Sasuke tossed and twirled his kunai in the air. “It puzzled me. Why did Sakura decide to go with _him_? And oddly, everything suddenly stopped when she and the Jūbi disappeared.”

“What are you indicating?”

“ _He_ gained Sakura by his side. But to what use of her, that I have no idea. The Fourth War purpose was to steal the remaining tailed beasts. It failed in some ways, but it was a chance to steal them. Why did he never attempt to steal it again? Why did he stop?”

“Knowing that it was difficult to take Uncle Bee and I out, they laid out Plan B: take a piece of Kurama’s and Gyūki’s chakra for their eye thingy plan.”

“You mean _Tsuki no Me Keikaku_? That has nothing to do with Sakura.” Or maybe it does. Sasuke’s finger twitched. Truth be told, his instinct never fails him, but he simply couldn’t put a finger on the link between that plan and Sakura. It didn’t make any sense at all.

“What about Orochimaru? Does he have anything on Akatsuki or Obito?”

Sasuke shook his head. “Nothing that we already know of. Days after Sakura disappeared, I went back to the cave where my brother and I fought Kabuto. Unfortunately, his body was gone. There wasn’t any trace.”

“It must have been that _White Zetsu_. That Kabuto held very important information: the whereabouts of Uchiha Obito. He wouldn’t let the body lying around.”

“Having the vital key gone, I hate to be the one saying this but it’s a dead end. Just like you’d said. There wasn’t even a trace or a whisper. Even Jūgo couldn’t find that snake through his nature abilities.”

“It’s like everything stops,” Naruto thought out loud.

“Look. We don’t know their current location or their plans; that is if they maintain their purposes. Our chance now lies with their mistakes. One mistake and we’ll know it,” Sasuke affirmed. “But we have to prepare just in case things get bad.”

“Sasuke, I’ve been thinking.” It was that tone voice again.

“What is it?”

“Did Sakura-chan say anything to you before she,” he paused again, “she was taken?”

That was unexpected. It caught Sasuke off guard and turned speechless for a moment. The thoughts of Sakura’s last words puzzled him the most. He studied Naruto’s expression again and wondered if he deserves to know the truth. He thought about telling him, but decided not to. Naruto’s state of mind and condition was too emotional for now.

“No, she didn’t,” he lied smoothly. “By the way, don’t you have a date tomorrow? With that girl from the Hyuga Clan?”

“Eh?! How did you know?!”

“Words got out quite quickly in the village.” Sasuke jumped off the roof and landed perfectly on the ground. Naruto followed but he tripped into a hole. He recovered as quickly as possible. “A little advice: be worried about yourself and your date. Leave Sakura’s whereabouts with the Anbu intelligence. Simple as that. Now go home, Naruto. Tomorrow is another day. You better be prepared.”

His friend ignored his word and enter his house without permission.

“Hey, can I stay overnight here? I’m too tired to walk home and I’m dying for some hot bath and a nice soft bed. I think I’m going to borrow your guest room for tonight.”

Another freeloader. First, it was Suigetsu. Then it was Karin and now, this bloody idiot. The only way to get rid of these freeloaders is to charge them at an extreme cost.

“WHAT?! But I’m your best friend!” Naruto declared.

“So?”

“So, it’s free! I freakin’ deserve it! I did your mission FOC, ya know!” He waited for Sasuke’s reply but he didn’t give a bull. “Bah! Fine! I’ll go! You suck as a host anyway.”

Sasuke returned to training. He secretly smiled for a moment, but maintained his seriousness after that.

“Dobe,” he called just before Naruto was about to leave.

“What now?”

“We’ll get Sakura back,” he promised.

Naruto smiled to that. Not too long ago, it was him the one who promised Sakura-chan.

“Ah.”


	2. Chapter 2

Dinner was splendidly delicious. Naruto complimented to the chef for making the best ramen in town. Then again, Ichiraku Ramen was always his favorite.

And tonight, was special.

As confident as he was in every battle he had, he was nervous as hell when it comes to dating someone. This would be his first official date and already, he was running out of topic to discuss! His eyes kept reverting to his date and every time their eyes meet, he would quickly look elsewhere.

Hyuga Hinata was looking exquisite tonight. She wore a purple v-neck dress, exposing her long neckline and bringing out color on her pale smooth skin. Her hair was in updo decorated with flowers, and the high heels made her look like an elegant lady. She didn’t wear thick makeup as she preferred the natural looks.

Naruto, on the other hand, was shabby in his orange tracksuit.

“I’m s- sorry,” said Hinata. Her hands clamped together in sheer nerves.

“Whatever for?” Naruto queried.

“I- I overdressed for tonight’s occasion. Oh, don’t get me wrong! Tonight, is special. I wanted to dress special... for y- you.”

“You don’t have to apologize!” Naruto smiled guiltily, “I was the one who should be! Well... me being under-dressed and all... I-”

“But I should have known that you wanted it simple. I- I’m really sorry!” Hinata paused in her steps and bowed apologetically.

Naruto quickly bowed as well. It wasn’t an intention, but as they regained their posture, he accidentally peek down onto Hinata’s neckline. Something in him snapped. And their eyes met once again.

“The Hyuga clan has chosen me to be their leader as the original heiress,” knowing that Naruto has nothing to talk about, Hinata decided to break the ice. “I- I thought my sister was going to lead, but they’ve changed the decision. I wasn’t con- confident and in truth… Well… They said I am to lead my clan until I decide to retire and pass onto the next given heir or heiress,” she blushed.

“That’s great! They’ve finally acknowledged you,” Naruto pulled a two-thumbs up. “Without a doubt, you will be a great clan leader. I’m sure of it! Congratulations, I’m very proud of you!”

Hinata knew Naruto would say that even though it wasn’t what she was hoping to hear. Such confidence from the man who have saved the shinobi world. How she wished she could be outspoken and say whatever that comes to her heart. Her lack of confidence always got the best of her. It was harsh; from the deeds of her father’s high expectations and grueling trainings, to the time she was kidnapped, and up to the point where her father decided to deem her as a lost cause, making her younger sister- Hanabi- as the new heiress of the clan. Then the war happened and her cousin, Neji, was the one who led the clan. Unfortunately, he died saving her while she was saving Naruto. It was a tragic end to Neji’s life. One simply could not forgive _that_ man’s sins.

Yet nothing could compare to Naruto’s sad life. During the war, in a moment when they were connected, something triggered in her mind and she saw a vision- a sort of sneak peek into Naruto’s earliest memories. She felt the hardship that Naruto had gone through. Because of that, she was tempted to ditch the leadership role. She would rather be with Naruto because he has no clan and no one to build a family with. The only heritage he has was a name- Uzumaki. 

Clouds partially covered the moonlight casting shadows on their path to Hyuga’s main mansion. To Hinata, it wasn’t an issue since she has the _Byakugan_. Naruto, on the other hand, kept stumbling on stone paths and into a small drain. She giggled shyly to that clumsiness of his.

“Well, here we are. I hope you have enjoyed yourself as much as I did,” Naruto smiled genuinely while scratching his head, trying to figure out how to say goodnight.

Hinata thought the gesture was cute. Then sadness consumed her, thinking if this was going to be the end of it. She didn’t want it to end. She loved him so much that she wanted to scream her heart out but that would freak him away. She wondered if she should make the first move.

Just before the date, Ino did advise her about ‘meeting the end of the bargain’, whatever the hell it means. She had mentioned about men expecting a kiss at the end of a date and something about a ‘wet tongue’. Hinata puzzled herself with the cryptic words and when she finally gave up, she asked Ino about it again. But her response was: _You’ll figure it out soon enough_. It wasn’t helpful.

Naruto let his sights lingered to her house, the light, his feet, and the night sky; practically elsewhere but her. He was waiting for her to move. 

She was waiting for him to kiss her.

The level of the awkwardness was building up by the seconds and if neither one of them make a move, someone from the Hyuga clan would get suspicious.

It was now or never. Hinata wet her lips with her tongue. She then closed her eyes and leaned in, lips puckered and ready for the action. Few seconds has passed and nothing happened. She opened her eyes and found that Naruto was leaning back. His face was shocked, the kind of reaction that one never expected to be kissed.

“I- I’m sorry! I- I thought-” Hinata stuttered, bound to shame for life thanks to Ino’s advice.

Moments passed and neither one spoke a word. Naruto avoided looking at her. His features were more serious than it was before. The awkwardness grew tremendously and Hinata suddenly knew exactly why- he wasn’t ready.

“Na... Naruto-kun. It’s ok. It’s just our first date. You need time, right? There’s always second time,” she joked.

“I’m sorry, Hinata. I didn’t mean to ruin this date. I really want this to be perfect. I,” he breathed out a tired sigh, “You can hit me if you want to. I’m such an idiot.”

“You really missed her,” Hinata blurted. “It’s Sakura-chan. You miss her, don’t you? You wouldn’t ask me to beat you up if you do.”

Naruto didn’t answer but his sad smile gave it away.

“I just don’t understand why she chose that bastard over us. It isn’t like her to decide so suddenly and turn against us. That’s not Sakura-chan.”

“She must have her reasons. I’m sorry that my team couldn’t be of any help. Shino, Kiba and I did our best trying to find her.”

“Don’t say that! You guys did great. Everyone did. It’s just that I couldn’t stand the fact that she’s with _him._ I don’t even know the reason why and it has been eating me with questions ever since.”

Hinata remembered what happened on that day. From her view, Sasuke and Naruto were running towards Sakura, fighting off the enemies. Sakura was caught in the middle, trying to stop both sides. But then there was a brief exchanged. Not in punches but rather in mumble words, and Hinata thought it was no value of information. Indeed, she saw everything but her gifted eyes couldn’t read lips well enough. She was itching to know what it was too.

“The last word she said, right before she was taken, was that she was sorry,” Naruto explained, “That was it. As if that would explain her reason to leave _me_.”

Hinata noted the tension in his voice and the fact that he used ‘me’ instead of ‘Konoha’. Yet, there was something in Naruto’s explanation that bothered her thoughts.

“What about Sakura-san’s words to Sasuke-kun?” she asked.

“What do you mean?” Naruto was taken aback. “I was the last person she talked to on that unfaithful day.”

“Except that it wasn’t you. From the angle, I saw it was Sasuke-kun. Right after you were knocked away, I saw Sakura-san mumbled something to him. It was just a moment but-”

“But what?!” Naruto was running out of patience.

Hinata jumped at Naruto’s sudden burst of anger. The friendly eyes that she knew very well turned into an intense stare. He grounded his teeth, waiting impatiently. It was as though he would literally eat her alive if she didn’t tell him what he needed to hear.

“Sakura-san’s expression was serious. And Sasuke-kun wasn’t the type to sit still. But he did. I couldn’t catch her words but I did manage to get one phrase.”

“What is it?” Naruto demanded.

“It was your name.”

* * *

Naruto reached his apartment and the moment he got in, he wanted to turn around and stormed into Sasuke’s mansion. He wanted to question him so badly and then hit him in the face for leaving a vital information out. Five years. He was searching for Sakura for five damn years; searching for any clues that would lead to her. And those clues were kept from him by the person whom he called his best friend. _So much for friendship_.

 ** _Naruto-yo... I sense your anger..._** A deep tone voice warned through his mind.

“I’m sorry, Kurama. I can’t handle all these deceits. You know how it was like for me back then,” Naruto said as he lay back on his comfy couch.

**_I know... If what that Hyuga girl said was true, then you understand what we must do._ **

“Ah... We need to find out what Sasuke knows; what he and Sakura both truly hide from me.”

**_Wake me up when the time is right..._ **

It was so easy for Kurama to say when he didn’t seem to care much but his interest. He would make a comment and then sleep right after he has done talking. Naruto grinned. Kurama may say that he didn’t care physically but emotionally he did. And the fact that he agrees to help Naruto with the trust issues of Sasuke evidently proved that he does care enough about the bond.

Naruto silently compared on what Hinata had mentioned with Sasuke’s. And truth be told, Sasuke seemed suspicious because every time Naruto mentioned Sakura, he would pull himself into deep thoughts and avoid direct answers about her. He always said to leave the matter to the Anbu. Yet, there was no news since. Naruto thought Sasuke didn’t care about Sakura, but he did make a promise that they would get her back. And an Uchiha never break their promises. On top of it all, Sasuke lied to his face last night. Sakura did say something and Hinata just confirmed it.

“Sakura-chan,” he sweetly whispered her name, “just what are you trying to hide and make Sasuke lied to me all this time?”

Naruto decided not to lose his cool. He would do what it takes to make Sasuke spill everything on his own terms. Once he got what he wanted, he would punch his friend in the face for wasting his time.


	3. Chapter 3

Obito stared at a lifeless body. It was covered in nothing but white cloth. He did everything to maintain its fresh look by keeping it locked in the special space- time jutsu: a unique dimension where he could teleport in and out whenever and wherever he wanted to. There were several other bodies as well and each of them shall play its part.

He walked closer to the body and touched its cheek with fingertips only. He did nothing more than that. To maintain its freshness, it mustn’t be tampered and it must be properly handled. The older the body is, the more fragile it would get. These bodies were too delicate and cold, just like everything else in here.

Obito used his Sharingan to see if there were any damages.

So far, there was none.

What were the odds? His project should have been done and over by now. But what were the odds that his plan didn’t go as it was supposedly planned? First, his comrades dropped like flies. One after another was defeated and killed. There was Deidara, defeated with an unworthy self inflicted death that pretty much killed only himself. Uchiha Itachi was next to go. He was a talented shinobi whose life was conflicted between choosing the Uchiha clan and the village. In the end, he chose to protect the village and his baby brother. Obito was glad to help during the massacre, since it has given him hundreds supplies of Sharingan. Besides, an Uchiha could be troublesome if they got in the way of his plan, compared to other shinobi.

And Itachi was an example of it.

It was intriguing that an Uchiha came up to him one night, asking for his help to kill his own clan. The deal, however, was not to lay a hand on Konoha and his brother. Such deal filled Obito’s mind with curiosity that he managed to learn Itachi’s truth. He always knew that Itachi was still a spy for Konoha even though it was difficult to read his expression or his end games. He was a double edge sword and a skillful one at it. Indeed, the kind that could level Obito’s to the point that he had to be on the edge and calculative at all time.

Then, there was Nagato. He was a mere puppet who failed to claim the Nine Tailed beast. On top of that, he used the _Gedō: Rinne Tensei no Jutsu_ to revive the people of Konoha. Nagato was the strongest. He was gifted with Rinnegan and he has _pain_. It was impossible to lose. Obito had high expectation of him. However, Nagato lost his own battle and everything crumbled down into pieces.

A lost in battle and a betrayal, could only mean one thing: a change of heart. That jutsu was originally part of Obito’s plan. He could have revived these bodies if it wasn’t for that damn Naruto and the Nine Tails.

Obito stared at the body again. _It will be soon,_ he thought. And like the wind, he brushed it away and activated his jutsu to return to reality, or what he seemed to believe it as a fake one.

“He finally appears.”

He grinned to the familiar sweet honey voice and turned to find Sakura leaning against the desk, waiting for him. It was as though she has predicted where he would appear next which would be impossible. The stubborn girl didn’t have such abilities. It was just her strong intuition. Obito relaxed and walked over to the desk to collect his gloves. He could feel her eyes attached on his every move. It would be too amusing if she thought that she could defeat him. How he wished he could mess around with her emotions as easily as Sasuke. Unfortunately, Sakura was too stubborn and smart. It would take more than that to mess that thick skull of hers. And there was a thin line that mustn’t cross.

“Aren’t you supposed to be in the basement now?” he merely asked out of boredom.

“ _He_ calls for you,” Sakura said straight to the point without a bull.

“You could have just sent Zetsu up instead of wasting your energy.” She didn’t say anything further but kept staring at the floor and sigh only once. Out of curiosity, he asked, “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t trust _him_ ,” she confessed.

“And it’s my problem?”

“Obvious, isn’t it? That you don’t trust him either.”

Obito smirked and wore his gloves out of habits. And here it was, yet again. The Sakura he knew, believing that she could manipulate him and break down his walls.

“It is obviously true that I don’t trust him, but he is my backstabbing ally.”

“Allies don’t backstab their comrades,” she countered.

“Oh? And what of Nagato? What about your precious Sasuke, hmm?” Obito lifted Sakura’s chin, forcing her to look into his eyes. “And above all, what about you?”

His slither-like voice wasn’t a threat, but what he said did. Those words finally caught her attention. He could sense that she was desperately trying her best to hold off her tears in front of him.

“You claimed to say that comrades don’t betray each other,” he continued, pressuring her further. “May I remind you that you are the one who turned your back on the Leaf and the Shinobi Alliance five years ago?”

“I did it to protect them.”

“Still, a betrayal is a betrayal. In a world of shinobi, greed is absolute. It defines who we truly are, both as a human and shinobi. Betrayal is an expectation. Only fools fail to see what was coming.”

“To remind me of my past, that was terribly low of you,” Sakura bit back.

“Did my words hurt you?”

“No,” she answered coldly and walked away. He quickly grabbed her arm, forcing her to face him. She struggled. His grip was like iron.

“I’m not finished with you yet,” he claimed and shook her hard. “Who do you mean by _them,_ huh? The Leaf? The Shinobi Alliance? I’ll have you know, I don’t believe a crap about you wanting to protect them. I refused to believe you actually care for them. The only reason you are here can be none other than those two boys you have dearly left behind.”

“Your words are like venom to my ears. Let go of my arm. NOW!” she commanded.

“Who, I wonder. Is it that young Uchiha, Sasuke? The boy who left the village to gain power to defeat his brother? I’ve already told you the truth about Uchiha Itachi, right? You deserve to know his pain. Everyone does. He has the right to destroy Konoha.”

“But he didn’t,” Sakura spat.

“True. And Konoha was lucky because of Itachi’s will and love for the village. Imagine without those, Sasuke would have destroyed everything- the people, the Will of Fire and that Jinchuriki named Naruto.”

“Strangely as it sounds, I agree with you. Your words may be twisted and vile, but indeed, it’s the truth. Betrayal is part of the greed and it’s an absolute cause.”

“I’m glad that you finally understood,” Obito chuckled as he released her arm and walked away.

Sakura fearlessly rushed to the front and blocked his way. Her jade-green eyes met his. He cocked his head slightly to the side and waited to hear her words, curious to listen as to what she needed say.

“Yeah, I’ve finally understood about you.”

“Me?” he puzzled.

“I, too, refused to believe in your crap. _The entire world is mine to control_ \- I doubt that that is the reason you’re doing this.”

“Oh?” he arched his eyebrow. “Do pray tell, my dear.”

“It’s not the question of why. It’s a question of whom.”

“Enlighten me.”

Sakura smiled a devilish smile.

“What was her name? Rin? You’re willing to throw everything that is in this world for her. You’re willing to change the course of this world to an alternate one so that she can live? It’s not the world that you want. It is her. It will always be about her. That is your true intention, isn’t it?” Silence followed. Obito’s left eye twitched a little. That was a well-received reward. And to that, she smiled and continued, “Indeed. You and I both did what we do best- betray our village and pursue our greed for the cause of our dear ones. Let me ask you something, Obito. Do you think she will love and recognise you in the alternate world? Will she be the same Rin you knew once upon a time?”

“Don’t talk as if you know her!” Obito burst.

“Don’t talk as if you know Naruto and Sasuke-kun!”

The Sharingan eye of Obito’s changed to the level of Mangekyō. He was tempted to put her down with his genjutsu. It was a useless attempt. Genjutsu doesn’t work on her anymore. He grinned at first. And then he laughed to his heart content.

“You’re never in the right mind. Even when it comes to Rin,” she commented.

“You’re an interesting little thing,” he placed his palm on her cheeks and his gloved fingers brushing her smooth skin, caressingly. He challenged her to look him in the eyes and she abided so well. Eyes so green that one could confuse it as earthly with turquoise colour. “I was wondering why you tormented yourself with questions just to challenge me. Perhaps you wanted to get something out of me, no? Or maybe this is your guilty pleasure?”

“Guilty pleasure?”

“For far too long I am without a woman. If this is your habit, then you’re my entertainment.”

Sakura slapped his face and he had let her. Indeed, there was a line that was not allowed to be crossed. He slipped on purpose to test her. The pink-headed kunochi believed that she was on equal level. Such a strong-headed and courageous woman Kakashi has brought up, and he grinned proudly at his enemy’s accomplishment.

“Know your place!” she spat.

“Typically naïve of you, my dear. But my thoughts of pleasuring a woman is limited only for one. And she is not in this world.”

“I-” Sakura was dumbfounded. That was an indirect slap to her face. Of course, everything that he did was an act out of love for Rin. “I don’t get you. Even in death, how could you love her still? This undying love for her… I don’t understand it.”

“You don’t have to. It’s already shown on your beautiful face.”

Obito walked pass Sakura and she followed. They walked through the poorly lit hallway before taking the spiral stairs that would take them deeper into the ground. Though he didn’t offer, she has her hands automatically on his arm.

“You and your puzzle words,” she muttered.

Obito guided her. He suddenly halted his pacing at the last few steps and immediately turned to face her. Even in the low dim light, he could see her with his eyes. “You truly are conflicted with your feelings, aren’t you?”

“You said it yourself. I don’t have to understand it.”

“That is not my advice. Let me ask you this, Sakura. When the time comes, who will you be in love with?” he continued, not giving her a chance to answer, “And when you finally answer the question of your heart, are you willing to do anything to bring back the one you have lost?”

“Have lost?” she was puzzled.

He stood closer and whispered to her ear, “Because once you answer your heart, it will be too late. _He_ will have your precious killed. Death is inevitable for those who betrayed him. The question is not why or what. It’s a matter of whom- Uchiha Sasuke or…” his words lingered, “Uzumaki Naruto?”


	4. Chapter 4

If Sasuke has a connection with Sakura, they must have communicated. And Naruto has been itching to know how and who the accomplice was. So far, he has narrowed it down to the possibilities- Suigetsu, Juugo or Karin. Then again, it could be all of them since they were Sasuke’s men. He needed a proper plan that could not be traced back to him. Hence, the only thing that he could do for now was to pitch a faux intel.

A week ago, Naruto requested a favour from Shikamaru who was closed to one of the Shinobi from the Sunagakure in the Land of Wind. He told Shikamaru everything he knew from Hinata and that of Sasuke. Shikamaru was immediately alarmed, suspicious and fear that an Uchiha would betray Konoha again, but Naruto shot it down, stating Sasuke would never betray Konaha; only that he hid vital information about Sakura and perhaps her whereabouts. If there was any, he wanted to know the details. He knew this was a risk he was willing to make since it involved an Uchiha. Nothing could escape the Sharingan. If Sasuke and Sakura did talk about him at the last moment of the battle, he did not want to be left out.

“Are you certain of this?” Sasuke asked in a manner of doubt as he glanced through the message once again.

“We’ve received this information from the Sands,” said Tsunade. “They reported that a woman with pink hair was spotted up in a village closed to the border in the Northern highlands. When the Sand’s anbu asked the villagers to describe her features, it was different from what they noted. They were not certain if it was Sakura, but they reported it in anyways.”

“Where is Kakashi?” he asked.

“He’s in the Land of Lightning, meeting with the Raikage. We’ve sent the message to him. He’ll be back next week at most. And since he’s not around, I need your opinion on this. Both of you.” Tsunade glanced from Sasuke to Naruto and waited for either one to speak up.

 _Kurama..._ Naruto called.

**_Ah... I’m already on it... I don’t sense anything... yet._ **

_Tell me if you do._

“I don’t think this person is Sakura,” Sasuke answered, “It’s too weird.”

“How so?”

“It has been five years since the Fourth War. We didn’t hear any news about our enemies’ whereabouts. And all the sudden, some villagers claimed Sakura has been roaming around a village up in the Northern highlands? If Sakura were to appear, those bastards would still be around, accompanied her at all times.” 

And there it was. Naruto could sense a short moment of anger.

“But the report only stated Sakura,” the Hokage spoke out loud.

“Exactly. Sakura is a highly skilled kunoichi and one that is gifted. If she were to be against us, she wouldn’t walk around a village or in an open field so freely. There will be someone with her... always.”

“What makes you believe those Uchiha were by her side?” she asked as she crossed her arms.

“Because they will not make a mistake by allowing anyone to remember she was there. If they were walking around a town, their top priority is to compel the whole village that they- including Sakura- didn’t exist.”

“What if they did make a mistake?” It was Naruto’s turn to ask, “What if they forgot to compel one of the villagers?”

“Plural. The report stated ‘villagers’. Besides,” Sasuke returned the message to the Hokage, “no one can escape a Sharingan user. And if Sakura were to be on our side, she would know what to do the moment she has the chance to escape.”

“And what would that be?” Naruto asked. His friend turned silence and it was testing everyone’s patience. He was dying to yell and make the Uchiha spill all information, but there was a line he respected and did not wish to cross.

“She would know what to do. Sakura is strong and a smart girl. She has a plan.”

And just like that, Naruto knew something was up. He kept reading Sasuke’s expression, trying to figure these charades out. _She has a plan?!_ His mind screamed. It wasn’t Sakura’s characteristics that his friend has just described. It was a statement with definition written all over it.

All these years, he thought that Sakura was taken by the enemies against her will, choosing them over the Alliance. Those who didn’t know her have called her act as a betrayal. Those who did were confused and angry by her decision. Her name was tainted everywhere as the enemy of the Shinobi Alliance. But for those who were much closer to her- like Sasuke and himself- knew Sakura was more than meets the eyes. Now he knew that Sakura chose to leave both him and Konoha because it was her choice. And Sasuke was the only person who knew the reason why.

His heart was aching.

**_He knew... but he’s not going to say it... Naruto-yo, ask him about the anbu spies on Sakura..._ **

“What about our anbu report? They must have something on Sakura-chan. Or do they still have nothing?” Naruto asked impatiently.

“You’re right, Naruto. If what Sasuke said is true,” Tsunade acknowledged, “compelling would be the first hand and weapon to make anyone disappear. We must conduct a physical test on our anbu spies. I’ll have the Yamanaka clan to take this task.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Sasuke claimed, “I’d already requested a Yamanaka to do mind screening every time our spies return home from a mission.”

“What?!” Tsunade exclaimed. Her hands were placed on her hips as temper rose by the seconds. “Without the acknowledgement or my approval? It’s one thing to do things on your own, but it’s another to go behind my back. The last time I checked, I’m the Hokage. What makes you think you can parade orders around this village?!”

“The last time I checked, the Uchiha was also the founder of this hidden village, _and_ the one who named it. You may have the legacy of the Will of Fire, but the Uchiha have the rights to claim Konoha. Since the line of Senju clan is dying, all rights are going to the next heir, making me the next Hokage.”

Naruto felt the room was building up with dark auras, to which he sensed anger, especially from Sasuke.

“Cocky brat,” the Fifth Hokage grumbled.

“I only called in a favour from Yamanaka, Ino. She has agreed to help me find her best friend. I can’t sit here and wait in hopes that your anbu spies will bring news about Sakura’s whereabouts. The truth is, I doubt your men are capable of finding her. They’re up against two powerful Uchiha who we couldn’t even truly defeat during the last war.” Tsunade wanted to counter but Sasuke cut her off. “The result was not in the good terms with us. Ino came up with a blank when she tried to abstract the info out. It was as though the memories were erased and replaced with well forge ones. Hence, Ino was-”

“-Unable to retrieve the real information. If she can’t do it, then no other Yamanaka can,” Naruto finished.

“My point exactly.”

“But you can. You’re an Uchiha. You can break the compulsion if you want to. Then again, you already know.” Silence filled the room once more. Naruto became agitated than he ever was.

Sasuke took a deep breath and broke the silence, “If a Sharingan user tries to unseal it, it will burn their eyes. Only the user who cast _this_ seal can break it.”

“Fine. So, we can’t crack the mind’s code. However, we know where the anbu went for their missions. We can pin down where they had gone and investigate from there,” Naruto pitched an idea in.

Sasuke sighed in return, “If it was ever that simple, you know I would have tracked them down already.”

 _Yeah, I know that,_ Naruto thought.

“Then what has stopped you?” Tsunade asked curiously while Sasuke paced to the wall that has a huge painting of the world map.

“Our compelled spies were scattered across all the five countries, making it impossible to find the exact location. It will be like trying to find a pin in a haystack, but there is no harm to make an investigation. Of course, with or without the permission of the Fifth, I would like to set up a team to make a trip to the Northern highlands.”

“You _still_ need my permission?” Tsunade questioned the Uchiha’s motives. Sasuke grinned. It amazed Naruto how that could be so forgiving. “Very well then. You will set a team of four shinobi. The decision will be yours to make; the both of you. You have two weeks. The Sands will be taking part of this investigation along with you. The mission starts at twilight. You may leave.”

On their way out of the office, Naruto and Sasuke argued about who were to be the leader of the team. Of course, Naruto cast a self-vote.

“You’re not going to be the leader,” Sasuke claimed, “because I’m the capable one.”

“Bastard, I have ties with the Sands!” he countered.

Tsunade stood there, witnessing two of her strongest grown men fighting over a childish thing. She couldn’t decide who were to be the next Hokage: Naruto or Sasuke. One has the love of the people of Konoha and the other has the potential strategic mind and skills of a Kage, including birth rights.

* * *

Naruto called Kurama out once Sasuke parted ways and out of earshot.

“What did you get so far?” he asked.

**_Sasuke knew from the beginning. I think he kept it in silence for a long time. He even managed to keep that Yamanaka girl quiet. He’s trying to find Sakura by himself. That is certain._ **

“Ah... He also knows why Sakura-chan left the village.”

**_How he communicates with her, that I do not know..._ **

“What about Kakashi-sensei? Sasuke was asking for him.”

**_Do you think they contact each other through space-time jutsu? It only seems right for the connection between the White Fang and that cursed Uchiha._ **

“But Kakashi-sensei would have already told us.”

**_Ah..._ **

Naruto walked the path to his apartment. Ever since he became the hero of Konoha, they have offered him a big mansion just like the ones of the Hyuga’s or Sasuke’s. He refused because he knew he has difficulty in keeping his apartment clean. He was a messy type of person. God knows he had tried his best to clear his rubbish if he got the chance to. So, twice per week, he has hired someone to clean up his place.

 _Sakura-chan will be furious if she learned that my habit still hasn’t changed one bit._ He smiled at that thought.

**_Imagine the Fist of Fury she will release upon you... Hahaha!_ **

“Bah! You have the tact to laugh at your partner. It’s not nice, ya know!”

**_What? You have me. At most I’m going to heal you very quickly with my chakra._ **

Naruto paused, “Kurama...”

**_What?_ **

“What was Madara like when you were under his control?”

**...**

“Kurama?”

**_He was the type of man who has the thirst for power. Manipulation and cruelty such as he was, he would use people to his heart content, believing himself as a God more than a man. Your woman is not safe with him. If I must make a guess, there must be something about her that has caught his attention._ **

“Sakura-chan is strong like Tsunade-bachan. Of course, that bastard wants her for himself so that she can heal him twenty-four seven.”

**_I got the feeling that is not the reason... For now, Sasuke is our lead in finding her. Somehow, Kakashi is part of it too. We not know how or why. It is best to be on your guard. Pressure on Sasuke whenever you can._ **

“Ah, I got it.”

**_And Naruto-yo..._ **

“Yeah?”

**_He was really angry... Darkness still dwells within his heart._ **


	5. Chapter 5

It has been three weeks and Sakura was on the verge of giving up on the research. The request for some fresh air was deeply needed, but it seemed impossible since she has been living in this gothic underground castle with two bloodsucking psychopaths and a zombie-like person named _Zetsu_. She rolled up her sleeves and annoyingly, gravity rolled it back down. She sighed and glanced herself in the small mirror that she has placed it on her desk. With her long hair tied loosely and her kimono in bridal white, any sane human might mistake her as _Yurei_ \- a ghost- searching for her lost husband.

She stared at the ancient scrolls and her notes again. After that, she banged her forehead on the table over and over. She stopped when she felt the pain and buried her face within the scrolls. Any scholars would freak out if one does what she just did- damaging ancient documents which worth more than her life, but she was so frustrated that she couldn’t get a single answer to these symbols.

* * *

Sakura learned of these symbols the day _he_ summoned for Obito. The man had told her to find his partner and bring him down to the main hall for a meeting. He had asked her to bid his will instead of Zetsu. Whatever it was, it must have been something important and hence, she rather not asked why. 

“What do you think he wants with you?” Sakura asked fidgety.

“Worry much?” Obito grinned as he laid her hands on his right arm.

“For the devil I know, yes,” she smiled sarcastically.

“Just don’t say anything that will piss him off. I won’t protect you if you do. In fact, I’ll enjoy every moment to see you going one on one with the man of the hour,” his grin widened.

“This is what I get for worrying about you?” she scoffed, “Just so you know, he summoned for you and not me. Maybe I’ll be the one who will be enjoying your arguments with him instead.”

“No, you won’t,” Obito leaned in and whispered, “You would rather be on the side of the devil you know than you don’t.”

The doors to the main hall opened before Sakura could make her quick remark. Servants greeted them like royals and as they entered, they found a long medieval-gothic dining table and chairs smacked in the middle of the hall. Before, it looked like a dungeon. But with candlelight display all round the hall, it made the ambience a much tolerable place to dine. A sit-down dinner was the theme. Food and drinks were well prepared, making Sakura hungry all the sudden.

“Come. Sit,” ordered the man sitting like a king at the far end of the table. Of course, it’s _him;_ the one who proclaimed himself as the King of the Shinobi. Sakura, on the other hand, has nicknamed him the ancient psychopath instead.

Obito’s muscles tensed beneath her touch, warning her to stay close to him. She noticed that his smirks and grins were all gone and were replaced with seriousness and calculative expression. Understanding that expression of his, Sakura moved closer to him and abided as he guided her to a seat, putting himself forward and blocking her from the view of the ancient psychopath.

“Madara,” Obito called without a gesture of titles or ranks, “you summoned for me?”

“Yes, yes. Come sit, both of you, and dine with me.” He gestured to the chairs. “We can have a discussion at the same time.”

Obito ushered Sakura two seats away from Madara, settling himself in between. This way, she could listen in to the discussion without partaking in their malicious scheme.

The servants poured the wine while she waited patiently to be served, focusing on the dish that was right in front of her. She has no idea why there was a need for etiquettes. Yes, it was a requirement for a proper lady, but she couldn’t understand the necessary as she has been dining with these two psychopaths all these years. There was no one else to impress to, unless it was meant for that ancient one.

“Right. Let us get on with business,” said Madara as he gestured the servants to make the serve quickly. “The anbu, have they been a problem?”

“Well,” said Obito, “when one declares war against them, one needs to be aware of the enemies. There has been a few crossing our land, but nothing to worry. I have the land covered and kept on the watch by our men. They slaughtered those anbu spies and kept a few for compelling. Our location is safe.”

“My intel has gathered information that the five countries are still looking for us. To think that they have hope is pathetic. Are these the men of Hashirama’s followers? Weaklings don’t deserve to live. Especially that granddaughter of his,” Madara spat. As he made a toast with his wine, his dark eyes darted to one person in mind. “What do you think, Sakura-sama?”

The question was a test. Sakura bravely returned the glare with a fake smile and didn’t provide the pleasure of answering the ancient psychopath.

“Hmm... You’ve managed your temper well,” Madara mused.

“I am the lady of this gothic old dungeon after all. It would be ashamed to damage any priceless _antique_. To reside in this God’s forsaken environment, I must confine my brutal strength, including my temper.”

The Uchiha giggled, remembering the first day they had brought her here. She almost had this castle destroyed.

“Good,” that was all she got from Madara. He then returned the conversation to Obito, “I would like know how the process of Lady Sakura’s training so far. Is she managing well?”

“She’s doing great. She managed to expand her knowledge, skills and moulding her chakra storage accordingly to your guide.”

“What about her genjutsu?”

“That was hard. It didn’t show at first. How did you know that she has the talent?”

The two psychopaths were talking about her as if she wasn’t here. Hell, she wanted to know how Madara found out that she was a raw genjutsu user too. Not to sound disappointed, but she was weak in that department.

“Five years ago, she broke the spell when I cast a genjutsu on her,” Madara confessed. His smile was eerily proud.

“I did?” Sakura asked.

“Yes. You are... unique in a special way. Like someone that I used to know, but you need to sharpen up that skill. That is why from now on, I will train you personally.”

“That will be too much for her,” Obito argued, “She’s not strong enough for that level yet. Her body will not take it if you push her too far.”

“Nor if you keep training her piece by piece,” Madara pointed out. “Time is of the essence and I can’t have you delay each of the precious moment when you could have done training her into greatness.”

“You will break her... apart.”

Madara slammed his fists on the table. “ARE YOU SAYING THAT I’M NOT A GOOD MENTOR?! I AM UCHIHA MADARA, THE FIRST ETERNAL Mangekyō USER AND THE ONE WITH RINNEGAN! TEACHING A CHILD TO USE HER ILLUSION TECHNIQUE IS NOTHING BUT A CHILD’S PLAY TO ME!”

“Indeed, it’s easy for you! But Sakura’s talent is more complex. Now, she may have the talent, but her body is not up for it. Unless you want to replace her eyes with our kind.”

Silence hit the room as Obito challenged Madara to a death staring contest. Sakura could only hear their breaths. The candlelight fluttered, struggling to survive from the castle’s gloomy air. She knew they were using her. Obito has been training her for as long as she could remember. But not once had he explained the purpose of those trainings they have spent. Whatever they have planned, it was not going to be good.

“I’m not going train her to that painful extend,” Madara toned his voice down, “nor am I going to hurt her. You know she’s precious to me.”

“And may I know what kind of training I will be facing?” Sakura asked.

Madara took a note to her curiosity. He smiled and pointed to a servant who stood by the far end of the hall to come over. The servant brought a tray with him and on that tray, there was a stack of scrolls. He gestured to hand it over to Sakura. She took one of the scrolls and opened it.

“There’s no words but pictures,” she finally said.

“Symbols, my dear. Not pictures,” Madara corrected, “You are to read the scrolls to me once you find out what each of these symbols mean. You have a month.”

“How am I to read the scroll if everything is in symbols? Besides, who is this writer foolish enough to doodle instead of writing in simple words?”

“The God of Shinobi,” Madara answered sternly. Those very words have caught both Obito’s and Sakura’s immediate attention.

“These are the lost scrolls of Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo,” Obito spoke out loud. He snatched the scroll from Sakura’s hand and tried to read it. “You expect her to solve puzzles and scavenge treasures by using these ancient scrolls like a map?”

“No. I expect her to understand and interpret the dead language, which was once known to the world of shinobi. She’s a smart girl. She will read it to me,” Madara nodded.

“And pray tell,” she asked, “what is your intention to pursue me for this... educational training?”

“To read a tale of ancient story for me, of course!” Madara gleamed. “Now off you go. Remember that you have a month. You will come to me if you have questions, or in need of assistance.”

Sakura stood and grabbed the whole stack of scrolls into her arms. She walked towards the door but purposely slowed down her pace. The conversation between Obito and Madara was still within an earshot.

“We need to regroup,” Madara demanded. “I have several men who are considered as allies of Uchiha. You are to travel east tomorrow, further deep from the Country of Water.”

“And what am I to find in the distant east?”

“There are those that still... dwell on unknown islands. Those... that are considered outcasts… lost… and betrayed.”

“Those clans... They’re deemed as murderers... Barbarians... Traitors. Not of the shinobi ways.”

“And they are men who bound no fear,” Madara confirmed.

“They will answer to no one,” Obito countered.

“They will answer only to _one particular bloodline_...”

* * *

A week. 

That was all Sakura has left before Madara unleashes his rage and disappointment. She despised his punishment for if she fails to meet his expectations or requirements, he would do the most unforgiving: mind torturing the maids whom she has claimed as friends. He knew that caring for people was one of her weaknesses.

The symbols were shaped in odds with different colours and sizes. Some looked like a shape of insects, and others were of lines and dots. The rest were nothing much but boring and simple designs. How she wished Obito was still here to assist her. He loves puzzles. He always does, but Madara has thrown him to another quest.

A knock on the door startled Sakura. Her maid entered and greeted her.

“Ayumi? It’s late. What are you staying up for?”

“I got a feeling you’re going to pull an all night. It’s not healthy for your complexion. You need to rest, Ojōsama. I’ve brought you tea and something that could aid you sleep,” Ayumi smiled and insist Sakura to take the sleeping aid. Drugs in a form of poppy.

“Thank you, Ayumi. But that won’t be necessary. I need to finish deciphering these scrolls-”

And just like that she saw it. Sakura kept staring at her maid’s necklace. When Ayumi bend a little to put the tea on the table, the shape of her pendant dispersed into familiar shapes and lines, but when she stood up straight, the several oddly shapes beautifully pieced together into one.

“What is that? Your necklace. What does it mean?” Sakura asked.

“This?” Ayumi pointed to her pendant, “I’m from the Village of the Moon. Something to remind me where I’ve come from,” she said proudly, bowed and left the room.

A simple explanation and yet, it gave Sakura an idea. It was exactly what Obito had mentioned at that dinner: puzzles, scavenge treasure and scrolls that must be pieced together into a map. She rushed to take the scrolls- the one with the similar symbols as Ayumi’s pendant- and piece it together.

 _It matches!_ Her heart screamed with joy.

Without any further delay, she started to scramble the remaining scrolls together. Using fire to cast illuminating shadows and put the pieces in the correct order, Sakura finally started to decipher the meaning behind Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo lost ancient scrolls.


	6. Chapter 6

Six.

Sasuke has six shinobi to be wary of. Naruto decided to bring Shikamaru along. As for him, he brought Jūgo to aid with his plan.

It took two days to reach Sunagakure. There wasn’t a need for an explanation since the Kazekage has already been filled in by the message from the Hokage.

There was a slight discomfort when meeting with such a young Kage. Gaara used to be such an emo kid. He withdrew himself from those he was closed to and never tend to make any friendly conversation. Even if he did, he was consumed with loathing towards everyone, believing he was the almighty. That had changed when Sasuke drew blood on him in a final round of Chūnin Exams. Gaara had turned berserk. Now, that berserk kid has grown up, taking the Kage position and was loved and supported by his people. Sasuke wasn't surprised by this, of course. It was all thanks to Naruto who typically made an impact in changing people’s lives.

The Kazekage wanted his men to accompany Sasuke's team. Apparently, the location to the village up in the northern highlands was difficult to locate for those who didn't know the area well. Hence, Gaara's older siblings, Temari and Kankurō, along with their two-trusted shinobi were ordered to guide them there.

According to the Sands, the way to the northern village would take one and half days to reach. Sand was practically everywhere.  The sun radiated the heat into the ground, creating the worst of heatwave. The unbearable heat was roasting the shinobi like meat. Sasuke thought the soles of his shoes were going to melt sooner or later. He led the way, following the route that Temari has pointed out. Jūgo was closed behind him. Everyone kept their mouth shut (only communicate when needed), and focused on reaching the destination. It was not a good idea to drain one's energy in a middle of the desert. The mirage would get to them if they were not careful.

 _That dobe has already suspected me_ , Sasuke thought as he made a quick glance on his men, especially Naruto. From the beginning, he knew that the intel was fake. It has both Naruto’s and Shikamaru’s work written all over it. It didn’t matter. This faux intel has created a blissful opportunity for him anyways.

The moment Sasuke received news from the Hokage about the mysterious pink-headed woman in the north, he knew it was false. And when he was answering every question the Hokage threw on him, Naruto had stayed quiet and watched him closely from behind. He didn’t have the need to use the Sharingan. He sensed something of a mix in the air, like someone was assessing him. That was why he decided to give out a little portion of his hatred when Tsunade questioned him about going behind her back. Naruto had used Kyūbi to sense out his emotion. He silently cursed to the thought of that creature in Naruto as a personal power supply or a Charka-&-Emotion-radar technology on a go. He didn’t like it for second as he preferred his emotion conceal, preventing enemies from reading him. And then Naruto had to ask about the anbu report. Sasuke did his best to keep avoiding from answering the truth. He didn’t want to reveal it. Not yet, because he didn’t want those bastards to know. That and the fact he actually knew they were using a Dōjutsu seal which was similar to Itachi’s: Releasing Amaterasu onto any other Sharingan’s user. Telling that the anbu has got nothing on Sakura would be a bunch of bull and highly suspicious. The Hokage would never believe his words or the report. She would go after Ino and demand everything she needed to know. So, he reported what was necessary except for one important detail- He did break the Dōjutsu seal. Sasuke was indeed one of the users that could both cast and dispel Amaterasu. If any other _normal_ Sharingan user tries to unseal it, it would burn their eyes.

The only problem? There was another seal underneath. It was a seal he has never seen before. The syllabus was an odd shape. He studied the symbol for a while, and when he tried to break the seal by himself, the spy threw a fit and his whole body was suddenly combusting with black flames of Amaterasu.

“We're here,” Temari announced.

“Why are we stopping?” Sasuke demanded to know.

“We need to wait and look out for a specific signal. It's the way to locate the entrance of the village. They said it's a huge diamond; the size of your head. When the sun cast its light, the diamond will gleam from afar within the radius.”

Their brains might as well fry if they stay under this blazing heat any longer. Sasuke nearly ordered Naruto to turn his Kyūbi radar on when Shikamaru spotted it. The village was hidden behind a plateau.

“That wasn't difficult to spot,” said Shikamaru as the team rushed to the village to escape this blistering heat.

“Ha! We already informed the chief of the village to expect visitors,” said Kankurō. “He's looking forward to meet us. If the Sands didn't inform him, you could have been lost in this desert for days without water. They set up powerful genjutsu around this place. They will let the burning sun dehydrate you and then leave you to die. That is their way."

* * *

It was never a plateau to begin with. It was a huge wall! The kind that was well camouflaged and possibly higher than the Hokage Rock. The entrance was just as majestic as the great wall. The gates into the village were built out of mud and concrete in extreme designed and brilliantly crafted. These were built to withstand against heavy attack. Whoever designed this place was either a genius or a mere human who wanted to instil fear to outsiders. Anyone could imagine a huge weapon behind this wall.

The teams were greeted by a man Temari believed was a steward of the village. He led them to the Counsel Building which was located on a small hill, making it the tallest of all the buildings. Every structure they passed- the houses, the shops and even the fountains- was made from mud and concrete. It was simply breathtaking. Sasuke envisioned what his hometown was going to be like. He decided he wanted it to be just like this village.

The Counsel Building was nothing like the sort of ordinary. It was made from full concrete. The light signal, the one Temari had mentioned, was indeed a huge diamond set on top of this building. Heavy footmen with weapons held their position to guard the place. As the team entered, statue after statue of previous leaders were lined up on the side of the Counsel's Hall. And there he was, on the high throne sat the chief. He looked as old as the Elders from Konoha.

“Welcome, welcome to Shinkirōgakure- Hidden Village of Mirage,” The chief announced proudly. He majestically made his way down the steps towards Temari and Kankurō. “It is an honour to meet the siblings of the Kazekage. I hope he is well.”

“Thank you. You’re awfully kind, Daichi-sama,” said Temari. “My apology for the short notice on our trip to your humble village.”

“Oh, not at all! Please! You and your company are most welcome here,” he gleamed and turned to Sasuke for introduction. “I am Ishihara, Daichi: The Chief of Shinkirōgakure.”

Sasuke has his back straighten and hands to the side, but he didn’t bow. “I am Uchiha, Sasuke. These are my men,” he nodded to Naruto, Shikamaru and Jūgo. “And we are shinobi from Konohagakure.”

“Ah yes, I’ve heard of you. You’re the one who defeated Madara.”

Sasuke arched an eyebrow and chuckled. Apparently, the chief was misinformed about the Fourth War history. “Technically, we didn’t defeat him at all.”

“ _We_? Oh yes! You and _that_ orange hero!” The chief turned to Jūgo and noticed the orange hair. He then gently poked Jūgo’s chest and gripped his biceps. “You must be Uzumaki, Naruto! You’re very tall and muscular. Such a true warrior you are! Konoha is very lucky to have a lad like you.”

Jūgo averted his eyes to the ceiling while the chief continuously poking on his muscle away. Sasuke, Naruto and Shikamaru were dumbfounded. Temari looked worried while Kankurō giggled away.

“Ano… Chief-ojiichan. Umm, I’m the real Uzumaki Naruto,” Naruto corrected.

“Huh?” The chief was now confused. His eyes glanced from Jūgo to Naruto. “You’re the one who was named the Hero of Konoha? Hmm…” The chief circling Naruto like a vulture circling for food. He finally said, “Chibi warrior. Not what I’ve expected.”

“What?!” Naruto exclaimed. Sasuke smacked Naruto’s mouth with his hand, shutting him up before he said vile words to the wise old man. “Mmmm! Mmmm… Mmmnnmmm!”

Still refusing to give up, Sasuke quickly used the end of his katana sheath to hit Naruto’s foot very hard. The blonde shinobi cried in pain and silently cursed to the world.

“Let me rephrase that for you,” Sasuke, as usual, ignored Naruto. He stepped forward to face the chief. His dark eyes meant business. “I believe we have an important matter to attend. We're here due to the report on a pink-headed woman your villagers claimed to have seen.”

“Ah,” the chief replied. The tone of his voice turned serious. The wise old man understood Sasuke’s needs on focusing on the subject. “Days ago, the Sands shinobi came to investigate about it. They, as well as my fellow councilmen and I, questioned the witnesses personally right here in this very same hall. If you desire, we can call in the witnesses again and demand the truth from their lips.”

Sasuke grinned. He then put a hand on the old man’s shoulder. “No, that won’t be necessary. We don’t want to frighten your people. We came here in good terms, out to search a friend of ours. That is all. If you be so kind, to let us stay here for couple of days while we make our own investigation.”

“Of course. We will provide you the best hospitality Shinkirōgakure can offer. And if you don’t mind, we would like to be part of the investigation to help with your search.”

“I believe that is a great idea. What do you think, Shikamaru? Diplomacy is your specialty.”

Shikamaru was surprised by Sasuke’s highly acknowledge of him and the need of support of his opinion. He straightened his back; arms rigid to the side and made a bow to the chief.

“I agree with you, Daichi-sama. The Sands and the Leaf are lacking in manpower. It will be troublesome for us. With your help, I believe we can speed our investigation up,” he assured.

“Naruto, I need you to take the lead while I’m dealing with the chief,” Sasuke commanded, who was all back to business. “Request the steward for the name list of the witnesses. Take Jūgo, Kankurō and his men with you. You know what to do?”

“Ah!” Naruto beamed. “Scout around for the witnesses and ask them if they really have seen Sakura-chan.”

“Just be back before dusk,” The chief said, “The Shinkirōgakure is to have a feast tonight. We have nominated you and Sasuke to be our Guests of Honour.”

“Since we’re in agreement,” Sasuke explained, “let us further this discussion somewhere in discreet. I’ll have Shikamaru and Temari joining us to lay out the plan as we speak.”

“Agree,” the chief nodded, gesturing the way to the private discussion room.

And then, there was one. One shinobi Sasuke must be wary of- Uzumaki, Naruto

* * *

The Hero of Konoha has ordered to scatter and search for the witnesses. Each was given the name list. Naruto was heading to the north, Kankurō to the west and the two shinobi were told to make the search in the south. As for Jūgo, he was assigned in the east, closest to the entrance of Shinkirōgakure.

 _It’s going according to plan_ , he thought.

Before embarking on this mission, Sasuke had thought this through and came out with the actual plan within hours. The plan was that Jūgo was to be by Sasuke’s side on the mission to the village in the northern highlands until further notice. The _real_ mission only started once he separated from Sasuke.

Jūgo made his way back to the entrance of the village. He ensured no one was watching him. Believing that it was safe enough, he used his natural chakra ability to call out a creature. Not for long, a desert horned lizard appeared.

_It will do._

He slipped a small piece of paper onto the lizard mouth and told where it needed to go. The lizard scurried its cute little feet away.

The weather was really hot. Jūgo looked up to the cloudless sky and suddenly- he was worried that _they_ couldn’t make it. If they weren’t here by midnight, the mission would fail.

And no one wants to disappoint Uchiha, Sasuke the most.


	7. Chapter 7

The night guards on the wall changed their shift accordingly to their schedule. Karin safely made her way through a secret passage to the village. Lurking in the dark, she activated the Mind’s Eye of the Kagura jutsu and expanded her range to detect any presence of others.

There was none.

Now, she needed to be in absolute stealth mode and do her best to sneak to the nearest water fountain.

The moonlight slightly aided her in reading the map. Still, it didn’t help much when she ended up in the wrong routes. She cursed every time she lost her way. The place was like a huge maze! It might be fun for the kids playing hide and seek, but a hellhole for adults on a mission.

The fountain was located at the back of an abandoned house. Karin activated her unique ability once again to sense if anyone was around. Satisfied that there was none, she sneaked her way out, pulled out her water bottle and emptied the fill into the fountain.

Nothing happened. She thought _he_ was either stuck in the water pumps or have already died drowning in the bottle.

“Suigetsu!” she called.

No answer. She tried to grab him in the water but he was in liquid state. Just when she was about to give up hope, bubbles started to form. And then, a figure broke the surface, liquid face appeared right in front of Karin’s. His face was just a breath away from hers.

“Ah, I thought that I was dead!”

“Quiet down, you moron! We’re going to get caught with that noise of yours,” she warned.

“Hey! Did you know I was about to die?”

 _Yeah, why haven’t you?_ She silently cursed. When Sasuke revealed the actual plan, Karin was truly upset. She wanted to be the one to accompany Sasuke. Getting stuck with the water boy was the last thing she ever wanted to be around with because one, his chakra disgusted her. Two, he is loud. And three, he always mocks her about her affection for Sasuke.

She pushed herself away, keeping a safe distance from him and his smell. She wanted to leave him here and begin the mission. Unfortunately, the water boy is part of the plan. It was an absolute order from Sasuke and she never wanted to disappoint the man she claimed to love.

“I thought I was going to die of dehydration. But thanks to you, I’m saved,” Suigetsu gave Karin a horrid smile.

“Do you mind hurry up? We have a mission to fulfill.”

“Why did you save me back then?” Suigetsu’s tone was serious as he changed into his original form. His arms rested on the wall’s edge of the fountain, violet eyes never left her.

Why indeed?

Both Karin’s and Suigetsu’s path was different from Sasuke’s and Jūgo’s. They were to move further from the original path to Shinkirōgakure to avoid certain detection. When Karin and Suigetsu were crossing the desert, fear had struck them. The heat was unbearable and Suigetsu was melting. After a few hours into the desert, he fainted over and over and Karin thought they wouldn’t be able to reach the village in time. Hope had finally abandoned Suigetsu when he finally stopped moving. The sun had taken much a toll out of his energy and Karin saw it with her own eyes- the chakra was fading slowly and he was dying. With the last attempt to survive, she told Suigetsu to get into her water bottle. She struggled through the mirage and a dust storm without a taste of water; always focus on Sasuke and the mission until she found a horned lizard waiting in front of her, carrying Jūgo’s message.

“Because you’re part of the plan,” she grumbled, “I only saved you because of Sasuke and the mission.”

Karin heard voices on the street and she rushed into the abandoned house with Suigetsu following behind her. They crouched in the shadows and waited, listening for the voices to fade away. She only returned to the conversation once the guards have left. As she faced the man she despised most, she suddenly found herself in the most awkward situation she has ever faced in her entire life. She stood aghast at the sight of one place where no woman should ever stare upon for a long period of time.

Suigetsu stood, naked as a jaybird. The huge cloud which was now covering the moonlight didn’t help much in shading his... everything. The cold air, however, was threatening every inch of his skin but he didn’t try to cover it up. He never bothered to and so does Karin. He knew she had worked in the prison surrounded by hundreds of men. There was nothing to be ashamed of since she has seen naked men before, assuming he was right about her.

And there it was. Her crimson eyes widened, cheeks reddened like tomato and her mouth the shape of O. Suigetsu couldn’t help but to cock his head to the side and grinned to the amusement he was well received. He liked her priceless expression. The smile he gave has caused Karin to look embarrassingly away.

“Hmm,” Suigetsu wondered.

“D- Do you mind putting your clothes on?! You’re going to catch a cold!”

He had been skinny dipping a while ago, thanks to her. Cold has already caught to his breath but he constantly ignored it. “If you’re really in love with Sasuke, why are you helping him to find _his woman_?”

“That bitch is not his woman!” she glared at him and quickly realized it was another huge mistake. He was still there, undressed and highly confident. She rolled her eyes and returned her watch for any intruders. Unfortunately, the only intruder was Suigetsu’s nakedness rubbing off her mind over and over.

“I’m pretty sure she is. He wouldn’t go to the distance just to find her. You said that Sasuke tried to kill her on the bridge somewhere in the Land of Iron? What’s the point for this then?” Suigetsu gestured to his surrounding, “It’s more like searching for his epic lost love taken away from his great… great grandpa?”

“It is his ancestor, you idiot. And no, she is not his woman. I am!”

“Self proclaiming your love to a man who doesn’t give a shit about you. It’s a shame,” he pointed out.

That was really shallow. There was no need to remind that her love for Sasuke was one-sided. Her fingers curled into a tight fist. She might not be great in Taijutsu, but hell, Suigetsu deserved a one type punch (nakama or not). When she was about to make an attack, he shoved a water bottle to her.

“Drink up, woman. You look pale.”

 _So very close and naked_ , Karin thought. Her mind betrayed her once again. Even in this dim light, she found herself in awe of his hard, lean frame as he stood naked before her. Suigetsu didn’t have a body like Jūgo’s. He wasn’t pretty; not with his razor- sharp teeth or his platinum hair that never suited him very well. His body, though, was closed to the size of Sasuke’s: slim yet masculine. She tried to tear her gaze away but the sight of his magnificent arms wouldn’t let her. Carrying that heavy sword around must have given him a well-defined build to his body, especially his toned arms. Too bad Sasuke has ordered Suigetsu to leave his sword at Konoha for a very good reason. Suddenly- she was tempted to touch it. Her eyeglass condensed, either due to the cold air or her heated breath. She couldn’t tell. And now, she couldn’t see very well.

Suigetsu watched Karin as she drank the water in silence. Her eyes focused anywhere but him, and her cheeks were still rosy pink. _Perhaps she is embarrassed?_ He thought. But she would never be. She was loud and annoying but never embarrass. Shyness was her act for Sasuke’s eyes only.

“Karin, I have a pleasure in owing you my life,” he leaned closer to her. He could see she was attempting to keep her distance. Her hands were covering up her chest as he continued his advances. He put his arms around, brushing his hands against her back, feeling every curve of her and exposing her exquisite needs.

“There’s no need for-” she was completely lost in words and surprised by Suigetsu’s sudden offer.

“I’m going to need-” his soft gentle voice whispered to her ear. His breath warmed her cheeks. There were no kisses, but his touches left a trail of heat and desire. She flushed with awkward redness as the embrace tighten. Something warm and soft grazing up against her exposed thigh. She mentally estimated his length.

“Ah… Yes… More…” she moaned. Her mind was building up fantasy. Never knew a disgusting man such as him could seduce her wantonly.

“My clothes… now.”

“What?!” Karin pushed Suigetsu away. Her hands holding onto his shoulders for balance because her right leg was brushing up against his. She was that close to wrapping it around his waist.

“I want my clothes. How are we to start the mission if you’re still holding onto it?” He sneaked his hand and dig into Karin’s bag pack. “Oro? You look pissed off,” he continued and quickly dressed up, noticing that she was fuming with rage.

 _Exactly. Nothing happens._ Karin felt foolish. There would come a day that she would have her revenge and pay him back with her method of ‘kindness’.

“Hell has no fury like a woman scorned,” she grumbled and left Suigetsu behind.

For the only woman who has saved his life, she didn’t deserve to be ill- treated. Yet, Suigetsu couldn’t help it. He loved to tease her. It might be a fragment of his imagination, but did he spot a disappointment on Karin’s face?

* * *

One could not explain how hype the people of Shinkirōgakure was. The welcoming party was overwhelming with free food and drinks served all around the table. Wines were flowing freely and their cups were never emptied. The dancers- the Desert Beauties- danced in seductive moves to a tune of strange local music that made it unique and memorable.

Of course, in honoring their guests, Naruto and Sasuke were seated on the highest table with the chief by their side. Shikamaru and Temari, on the other hand, were seated on the other side with the steward. Everyone was dressed down for the event, leaving their weapons in their rooms. This was apparently a feast to celebrate and tighten the villages’ trusts and coexistence.

Two of the Desert Beauties danced towards Sasuke, attempting to seduce and grab any attention or reaction from him. He has his elbow propped up, resting his chin onto his palm and yawned in sheer boredom.

“These beauties are attracted to the young master,” the chief chuckled at the sight of the dancers’ effort. “Sasuke-dono, you must catch yourself a wife. Noble women tend to surround and follow you even before the feasting started. I’m curious if either one has captured your eyes?”

“I’m afraid I have to disappoint your curiosity. I’m not here to hunt a wife,” Sasuke claimed as he waved the beauties away. They stopped their advances and turned to seduced Naruto instead. The blonde shinobi gulped nervously as they pursued him with their ‘talents’.

“Oh? It seems you have someone special in particular, no? But no matter. You seem to be strong and a capable man. With your situation, I thought you will take more than a wife. Perhaps a concubine or a mistress to assist in building your clan?”

“I’m not a womanizer. I will do no such,” Sasuke silently cursed, resisting his temptation to choke the life out of this old man.

“Oh my! Forgive me if I’ve intruded your private life. I didn’t know how much she is meant to you.”

“If you assume what I’ve assumed, you are mistakenly wrong. She is meant to all of us,” Sasuke replied. “A dearest pupil to the Fifth. A best friend to someone. A skillful than the rest of the kunoichi in this Shinobi world and-”

“A member of Team Seven,” Naruto finished the sentence while kindly refused the touches of the two beauties.

“Hmm, I can understand that, but what is she to _you_?” the chief asked his honorable guests.

Naruto and Sasuke sat in silence. Neither wanted to answer because neither knew where they stood when it comes to Sakura. _A friend? A very close friend?_ No, it was more than that.

“Ah, I can see it,” the chief slyly smiled as he made a short glimpse at two of Konoha’s best heroes. “Friendship is certainly the finest balm for the pangs of disappointed love.”

Naruto couldn’t understand a single shit what this old man was talking about. Sasuke, on the other hand, decided to remain silence for the rest of the feast.

“Shinkirōgakure is a very old village,” the chief told a tale, “Once, it was a sacred beauty of the west. But after many wars, this land had turned into battlegrounds, mostly fought between the Sands and the Rocks. There’s a history left by my ancestors thousand years ago. Particular words that are passed down and known only to my people. It’s the very same words that inspired to build this place.”

“Do share,” Naruto insisted as he drank the best wine Shinkirōgakure has offered.

“It is written that _a bond between two people is an upmost task; to each protects the solitude of the other._ You’ve met and talked to my people, yes?”

“Yes,” he nodded. “They’re very friendly; warm and kind-hearted people. Their chakras are very bright.”

“Within these walls, you’re witnessing their bonds. And in this wall, you see the Sands and the Rock continued to strengthen its coexistence, through mud and concrete.”

Naruto smiled to the simple concept of what this village represents.

“I’m sure,” the chief continued, “that your friend has a reason to go on her own ways. Besides, what is there to live but to protect for those you loved, no?”

“DAICHI-SAMA!” a night guard intruded the great feast and quickly rushed his way to the chief.

“Speak,” the chief commanded, “What is the matter?”

“Trouble, Daichi-sama!” the guard panted, “T-There’s a huge monster at the main gate!”

“A monster?!” The chief was shocked and disbelieved in what he was hearing. He scratched his bald head in confusion. “This is the first I’ve heard. Are you sure it’s a monster?”

“Yes! Sharp teeth and all muddy!”

Sasuke covered mouth with his hand. His eyes were elsewhere but the chief. Naruto thought that he detected a hidden smile.

“Any casualties?”

“There is none. The creature… Well, the creature was screaming, swinging its arms and throwing mud all over the place!”

“On the buildings?!”

“No, on us! It’s very slimy and disgusting. It’s moving to the north as we speak.”

“Then we must haste and aid our men. Gather all the capable, those who are here and on stand by, at the North-central. We’ll-”

“We’ll go as well!” Naruto spoke up, “You need all the help you can get.”

“It’s considered rude for us to have our Guests of Honors to protect us. However, if you insist, we’ll accept.”

“Then allow my men and I to make preparation to capture this creature,” Sasuke announced and stood to make orders. “Jūgo, take the Sands to the rendezvous and aid the men. Shikamaru, Naruto, once you are ready, tail the creature from behind, but do not make any attempts to attack. Help any casualties on your way.” He turned to the chief. “The creature didn’t hurt anyone… yet. Best not to harm it first and observe what it needs. Have your men to guide the women and children to a safe location as first priority. By the way, where are you going to station at?”

“I’m going with my men to the North-central. I’m going to watch and guide them from the watch tower.”

“Very well. I’ll meet you there and provide guidance if needed.”

“Thank you, Sasuke-dono.”

There was an understanding when the Chief of Shinkirōgakure and Sasuke nodded to each other. Naruto looked at his nakama in awe. His long-time rival was better in everything he does, even at giving orders. This was what a Hokage should be: provide quick strategies and protect those who couldn’t protect themselves. He hated to admit it but Sasuke does make a better Kage. And yet, he has a feeling that Sasuke was putting up a very good show.

* * *

“What the fuck is Sasuke up to?” Shikamaru paced the floor of their room.

“Kurama,” Naruto called, “I need your help. They’re expecting us to be out and ready as soon as possible-”

**_I’m on it…_ **

He should have known these bullshits were well-planned. His guts were right all along. Sasuke knew about the faux intel, but why did he still insist on going through these if he knew about it from the beginning? It didn’t make any sense.

**_Naruto-yo, it’s that water boy, one of Sasuke’s men._ **

“What did Kurama say?” Shikamaru demanded.

“The monster was Suigetsu. Shit! Why would he attack this harmless village?”

“Except that no one is attacking anyone. Suigetsu must be the distraction. He wants all eyes on him. Sasuke is definitely up to something. Naruto, we can’t risk having Suigetsu captured. It will not look good on Konoha. If the Chief of Shinkirōgakure finds out that Sasuke is the one who planned all these-”

“Ah, I know! What I didn’t know is that all this time, he was playing us! We’re the ones who supposed to trick him. Shit!” he cursed. He should have demanded the truth from Sasuke directly since day one.

“Sometimes plans backfire. Look, we have no choice but to follow whatever he planned to do here. The main priority is to not let anyone knows what he’s up to. Not even the Sands. He’s the closest person to find Sakura. Naruto, you’re going to have to find him and demand answers.”

“Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!” Two clones appeared beside Naruto. “If Sasuke isn’t at the tower, one of my clones is going to change into him. What about you?”

“I need to be out there,” Shikamaru prepared his weapons. “It’s troublesome but that fish guy seriously can’t afford to get caught. If something happens, I need to be the middle man.”

Naruto nodded. He grabbed his pouch that was filled with weapons and ran out to the hallway, leaving his clones to Shikamaru. His first search would have to be in Sasuke’s room which was located on the other side of the wing, but his sense stated otherwise.

**_He’s in ground level. No, wait! He’s going further deep. There must be an underground tunnel underneath this Counsel building. Naruto-yo, we must hurry!_ **

“Ah, I’m on it!” Naruto rushed down the stairs, cursing as he followed Sasuke’s path to wherever damn well he was going.


	8. Chapter 8

The way through the underground tunnel was in pitch darkness. Thanks to his Sharingan, he didn’t need to run blindly and waste any amount of time. He wouldn’t have all the time but enough to take what he needed most; only if Suigetsu does what he did best, which was buying Sasuke some time.

The riddle of the symbolic seal must be answered. He didn’t want the anbu spies to end up in flames every time he tries to break the seal. He had searched through every books and scrolls in Konoha library. Yet, nothing came up with the exact symbol. He had no choice but to turn to the man who knows everything: Orochimaru. Sasuke didn’t show him the symbol. Instead, he asked if there was ever an ancient text or languages that uses symbols rather than letters. He learned that such language was long gone and forgotten. To revive a dead language would take an amount of patience, effort and research. And Sasuke didn’t have the time for any of it. What he needed most was to find Sakura and return her to Konoha. However, if he didn’t have the knowledge of this symbol, unsealing it would be an impossible task.

That was the reason why he has Jūgo, Suigetsu and Karin on a quest to find old villages across the whole five countries. So far, they have listed the names of villages but didn’t manage to get a jackpot… yet. Shinkirōgakure sounded promising.

According to Jūgo, there were two guards deeply stationed underneath the Counsel Building. And one doesn’t put two best sensory shinobi in complete darkness for nothing.

 _She should be there already_ , Sasuke thought as he dashed through the concrete labyrinth. The tunnel spiraling down, perhaps ten levels deep. The air was getting thinner but it was bearable enough. Once he reached the last level, he made a turn and ran. He could see someone at the end of the tunnel.

“Karin.”

“Sasuke! You’re right. It works! Oh my God, these things are brilliant! Where do you get this stuff?” Karin beamed with joy. She has defeated two very skill shinobi using a simple weapon.

Sasuke had stumbled upon these pink balls in Sakura’s office while digging through her stuff. When he was playfully tossing it in the air, Kiba had screamed like a mad man. He had shouted that the pink balls were powerful sleeping grenades, one that he and his nakama had a taste of it before. Who would have thought that she was capable of making handy weapons? Then again, she could be an idiot for putting a bomb in one place surrounded by sick and injured people.

“Did anyone see you?”

“Nope. I turned both of my chakra and abilities off before I enter this building. Roll those sweet babies to them and poof! Knockout in a matter of seconds.” Karin turned on a small flashlight. She beamed the light onto the shinobi and felt proud.

“Well done, Karin,” he praised and focused to work on opening the heavy metal door in front of them.

There was no alarm mechanism behind this door. It was heavy for one man to open. If this village was the enemy, Sasuke would have already burned it down with a flick of Amaterasu. Instead, he pushed the dial in anticlockwise with all his strength. Every time he took a breath, he pushed and pushed until he heard a thud sound, signaling that the door was finally unlocked. Sasuke and Karin pulled the door opened and stepped into the vault.

Dimmed lights casted throughout the library the moment it felt human presence. Books were literally everywhere. Some were piled high up and spread all over the tables and floor. Others were stack neatly on the shelves, covered in webs and dust.

“Where do we start?” Karin asked while amazed by how old these books could be.

Without wasting any minute, Sasuke headed in the direction of the restriction section of the library. He read the ‘forbidden’ sign and knew this is where he would start the search. “We need to find scrolls. Not the books,” he said as he ran his fingers against several spines of books. “Ancient texts were written in scrolls a long time ago.”

“And what am I looking for in particular?”

“Anything in relation to symbols,” he answered.

“What does it look like?”

If Sasuke didn’t explain to anyone, he sure wasn’t going to explain to his own nakama. The less people know about it, the better. In fact, keeping it to himself was the safest he could ever do for Konoha and Sakura. He couldn’t risk any mistakes.

“Karin, Suigetsu is busting his effort to buy us time. Find and take the scrolls that have any symbols on it!”

Karin jumped to Sasuke’s sudden temper. She thought that being closer with him would at least allow him to open up to her, but he was the same as he was before- mysterious and lethal. And if she wasn’t mistaken, he was more pissed off than ever.

They passed several shelves, deeper into the vault. Finally, they found the scrolls stacked in pigeon holes’ shelf which was protected with glass door.

 _This should be it._ Sasuke slid the door open and took a scroll out. He quickly read it through. Scrolls after scrolls, he only took what was necessary and dumped it all in his prepared slack bag.

Karin did the same. She tried to quicken the pace but something tore her concentration. She kept looking over her shoulder to the right. There was nothing. She widened the range of her abilities to sense anything out. No one was in the library except for her and Sasuke. Thinking that was probably just a breeze, she continued what she was told to do.

And just when she was about to grab a scroll, she felt it again! Something touched her radar, alright. It didn’t feel like chakra. This was something else, something cold and unknown to her.

“Sasuke…” she called. She walked over and flashed the light to the darkest section.

“What is it?”

“There’s something here. I don’t know what it is, but it’s-” Karin beamed the flashlight straight to the floor. She squatted and brushed the dust away. Suddenly- she found a small iron ring pull-knob. The head was strangely designed. She tried to lift it up but to no avail.

Sasuke inserted his Kusanagi sword through the loop and used the support to lift it up. The door creak opened. Cold and ancient trapped air escaped, brushing his pale skin. He activated his Sharingan to get a better view of what was underneath.

Nothing but more spiral stairs into darkness.

“Sasuke, something tells me we shouldn’t be down there,” Karin warned. Her voice sounded afraid and she wished not to go any further.

“The more reason we should be.”

And without a second thought, Sasuke took a step into the oblivion.

* * *

Shikamaru either wanted to laugh or cry in horror. From where he stood, it almost looked like a game. The chief stood on the watch tower, controlling and appointing his men to whichever direction they needed to go in order to capture Suigetsu- the supposedly gigantic mud monster.

He was right about Suigetsu being a distraction. He didn’t hurt anyone in the process of fearing the villagers. His version of being scary, sadly however, was screaming and throwing monstrous arms in rage.

Shikamaru shook his head to the many situation or scenarios he has faced in his life. And all his life, this would be the silliest task of all.

It was very slick of Sasuke to tell him to tail the beast from behind and not making attempts for any attack. That was a very smart move because if Sasuke had put him in the watch tower with the chief, the old man would need advices and strategies which Shikamaru was very good at. Instead, Sasuke has him tailing Suigetsu so that he could come up with strategies to prevent Suigetsu from getting caught. It’s like cheating in a game.

Shikamaru noticed that the guards couldn’t keep up with the chase. He then activated his shadow gathering technique to help all the fallen guards he could and get them mostly out of the way. No one was injured. They were just covering in mud. He glanced at the watch tower again and understood what was needed to be done.

_Well planned, Sasuke. Well planned indeed._

“Naruto!” he called once he was closed enough and no one was around to hear their conversation.

“Yeah?!” The cloned- Naruto was pretty handy too. He was using Kurama’s chakra to form hands and carry the guards to a safer place.

“Sasuke is not in the tower. Your other self need to change into him.”

“Done.” And as he’d said it, ‘Sasuke’ appeared and stood beside the chief.

“Okay, listen up. I’m going to get closer to that fish guy. You must back me up. Get to the front and get the men as far away as possible. Don’t let them get in the way.”

With that, Shikamaru jumped ahead towards Suigetsu. There were a few obstacles ahead but it was easily manageable.

“Kageyose no Jutsu!” His shadow aimed and grabbed onto Suigetsu’s hand. The strength alone allowed Shikamaru to get air lifted and landed directly onto Suigetsu’s monstrous nose.

“Yo...” Shikamaru grumbled.

“AARGH! GERR! AARGHHH!”

“If you eat me, Suigetsu, I swear that I’m going to give you an instant major diarrhea! My shadow technique can go through your digestive system as easily as fluid,” he lied. Suigetsu immediately stopped screaming and growling. “Sasuke sent me here to help you. It’s damn troublesome but I’m going to guide you through this. Just listen to what I’m telling you and you’ll be fine.”

“I’m fine by myself. Get off me,” Suigetsu argued.

“Unfortunately, my landing got me stuck in this mud up to my waist. We’re stuck to each other whether you like it or not. How long did Sasuke ask for?”

“As long as I can maintain,” Suigetsu changed his hands in a form of slingshot. A pile of mud already prepared. He aimed it to his side and shoot. “Bull’s eye!”

“Stop that!”

“Hey, I thought you’re on my side! I’m here to distract. The best thing I can do is to piss them off.”

Shikamaru rolled his eyes and took another glance at the watch tower. The Chief was jumping with madness, scolding and demanding his men to bid what was told. ‘Sasuke’ did what he does best- stare proudly and be all moody.

Suigetsu pulled Shikamaru out and placed him on his head, making his version of mud monster a much scarier effect. Shikamaru thought he was the antenna of the monster. The only good thing was that he has three- sixty view.

Suddenly- a strong wind attacked them from behind.

“Oh shit!” Shikamaru cursed.

“What’s going on?! Who the hell scratch my butt?!”

“Who did you throw that mud at just now?!”

“Eh? Those mini squads led by a woman with a big fan. Why?”

“I suggest you run, Suigetsu. Run as fast and far away as possible. The sister of Kazekage is a wind element user. And she does not look happy!”

“Why can’t you tell her to back off?!”

“You just threw a mud at her face! Do you expect her to attack you nicely?!”

Before Suigetsu could answer, Temari slashed his arm using her Daikamaitachi no Jutsu. The arm dropped to the ground with a thud sound. He didn’t have chance to regrow his arm because Temari was going to make another attack on him and he feared it was going to be bigger than before.

“Fuck me! Your girlfriend is mad!”

“She is not my girlfriend!” Shikamaru argued. This game apparently turned into a handicap match. Not only that he needed to avoid the chief’s men, but he needed to counter Temari’s attack. He peeked over his shoulder, hoping she would at least cool down. Apparently, he was dead wrong. “SHIT! RUN IF YOU WANT TO LIVE, YOU BASTARD!”

‘Sasuke’ continued to watch Shikamaru and Suigetsu running away from Temari who was waving her huge fan at them. His left eye twitched a little, wondering if this was all a joke because from here, it looked as though they were playing a reverse game of cat and mouse.

* * *

The air was getting thinner and it was getting harder and harder to breathe as Sasuke and Karin took the steps further down to the unknown. There was nothing to guide them. So, they have no choice but to hold onto the sidewall as they walked down the spiral stairs. Since Sasuke was using his Sharingan and he could see better in darkness, he led the way. No human could stay down here for long; not in this tight suffocating atmosphere.

“Do you think this is the best idea?” Karin stayed closer to Sasuke. He caught and assisted her couple of times when she slipped and fell. “I mean, no one is down there. It’s just that I have this bad feeling. There’s an unknown aura and it’s stronger this time. It’s telling me to stay far away,” she babbled, trying her best to change his mind about going any further.

Sasuke never doubts Karin’s ability. If she said she has sensed something else instead of humans, he would believe it. The problem lies with Shinkirōgakure. What secrets have they kept beneath this village? The door was covered in thick dust and there was no evidence of footprints on the steps either. It seems that none of the locals have entered this place for a very long time. In fact, he believed no one ever does till now.

They finally reached the bottom and were struck with awe by the view they’ve discovered. This was no tunnel. It was a cave. No light, day, the sun and even the moon could hold the sway or meaning of this place where time stood still. The cavern formed soluble rocks over time which now surrounded by its natural elements such as limestone and marbles. The wall above arched hundred feet up to giant stalagmites which were rather unusual. They appeared to be rounded, irregular and hollow cones- which concaved down towards the Earth as though it was melting. The air was cool and slightly dank. The only sound they heard were the sounds of dripping water and their footsteps.

The absence of light might be a problem for Karin since she only has a small flashlight to aid her. Fortunately, there was no issue for Sasuke. He sees everything what this prehistoric cave has offered. And his eyes focused dead onto one place that has caught his upmost attention.

Sasuke stepped into the circular floor. Karin followed. The floor was too smooth to be natural. It was the size of a field and it was no doubt a manmade. Someone must have been here a long time ago, built this place and left it to be forgotten. Sasuke believed that not even the chief would have known this place existed. This was an old and sacred place and Karin was right again. They shouldn’t be here at all.

“What is this place? There’s nothing and yet, I feel it is here, exactly right where I’m standing on!”

“You can’t see it?” he asked.

“See what?” Karin shrugged her shoulders. “There’s nothing here.”

Interesting. The symbols were right underneath her feet within this circle and she couldn’t see it? No clan, not even the Uzumaki could see this except for the Uchiha. Could any of these in relation to his ancestor?

Sasuke tried to study the cryptic symbols. He took the surrounding and observed if there were any symbols on the wall. There was none. His eyes went back to the floor. Every line and every curve was in different shape. None of them were familiar to him. These weren’t _the_ symbol he was looking for in particular. Nevertheless, it was symbols indeed, and it was evident enough which proves that there was a time when people used symbols instead of words. It frustrated him so much that he could see it but never understood it.

“Karin, go back up to the library and pack up the scrolls. _He_ will be here soon.”

She followed his orders, like always. She wondered if he would be alright here all alone. The aura she still sensed was ominous- something she couldn’t really touch on or never really understood. What she could sense from it was that it was not human and that it doesn’t want to be known or found. She took a final glance to the man she loves before heading up the spiral stairs and back to the library.

* * *

The maze was harsh to the hero of Konoha. Naruto dashed his way through it but kept bumping his face to the wall several times. Thank goodness for Kurama’s chakra for it glowed golden bright in the dark. Or else, he would have to go through this maze with utter blindness. He made through a small tunnel and found two shinobi fainted on the floor.

**_I can’t sense that Uzumaki woman. She must have turned her chakra off. Naruto-yo, I don’t like this place. Somehow…_ **

Naruto walked into the vault and followed Sasuke’s chakra since he couldn’t sense the other.

“What’s wrong?”

**_…_ **

“Kurama?”

The nine-tailed beast didn’t answer. Naruto continued to follow his sense and walked into the forbidden section until he came across a trapped door, which was left open. He glanced around for Karin. She was nowhere to be found, even though his sensing ability was all fired up. She must have really concealed her chakra.

 _That is one really tricky kunoichi._ He thought.

Naruto peeked beyond the trapped door and unsurprisingly found more stairs. He managed to sense out Sasuke’s chakra and _other_. For the first time, he couldn’t figure out what this ‘other’ was. It was neither good nor evil and he didn’t dare to question it. Suddenly- a shock vibe ran through his body the moment he took the first step down the stairs.

“What the hell was that?!”

**_Stay quiet, Naruto. Just keep moving forward…_ **

There was something about this place that has bothered not only Kurama but Naruto as well. Still, this wasn’t the appropriate time to think or ask about it. He needed to find Sasuke, stat. Shikamaru couldn’t hold off the chief’s men forever. And Naruto needed time; time to demand answers from Sasuke and beat the shit out of him after that.

Naruto was slightly hyperventilating when he finally reached the bottom. The air was thinner here than above. Without wasting any time, he quickened his pace towards the chakra he was sensing. And strange as it sounds, it wasn’t Sasuke’s.

“What the-” Naruto was beyond speechless. He was about to cross over into the circular floor when Kurama stopped him.

**_Don’t step any further! See this line? Stay away from it!_ **

“Why?”

 **_Naruto-yo, this is a sacred place. Even the air is ancient. You must respect_ ** _**it.**_

“A sacred place? There are symbols within this circle. I’ve never seen anything like this before. Kurama, what is this place?”

**…**

“Kurama?”

 **_I don’t know, kid. It’s very old. We shouldn’t be here. It doesn’t want us_ ** _**too…**_

“Why am I not surprised? Not even the great Kyūbi knows what it is.”

And there he was, lurking from the shadows, stood Sasuke. His eyes were glowing of his unique Sharingan. His expression was as cool as always; ever the proud Uchiha he was. He stepped into the circular floor once again, ignoring Naruto’s mentioning of ‘sacred’.

“Sasuke! You better-”

“I want to talk to Kurama first,” Sasuke cut him off.

“Eh?” Naruto baffled.

“Naruto, I’m asking you nicely. Either he comes out or I’m jumping into your mind.”

“You’re not ‘asking’ nicely. You’re ‘commanding’. That’s different from asking,” he grumbled.

**_Switch with me, kid. Either way, we’re all in this conversation._ **

Naruto sighed and abided at Kurama’s request. He made one last glare to Sasuke before his eyes constricted into a mere slit. Those cat-like eyes proved that Kurama has made the switch.

“What did you see, Kyūbi?” Sasuke pointed to the floor.

“Are we going back to _Kyūbi_ now? A while ago you called by my name.”

“Enough of small talk. You and I both understand we don’t have enough time.”

“You, Uchiha, are always straight to the point,” Kurama, which was now in control of Naruto’s body, circling around the floor. He still refused to step over the lines. “I see what you see. It is of the same.”

The answer wasn’t enough. Sasuke pressured on, “What does it mean?”

Kurama squatted closer, trying to get a better view and figure out what all these symbols mean.

“I don’t know. All my life, I’ve never seen any of these. It’s not even the language of mantra.” It amazed him how old these symbols were and how new these were to him. “What I can tell you,” he continued, “is that you’re standing on holy ground and I suggest you move otherwise.”

The tailed beast didn’t lie. Sasuke could tell it with his eyes. So, not even the one who was closed to the Sage of the Six Paths knew what these symbols mean. If Kurama didn’t know, who else would?

Sasuke ran his hand over his hair. He has come to this village to find an answer. Instead, he was cursed with more questions.

“We need to go,” he decided.

Kurama immediately changed and Naruto was himself again. “Hey, we’re not finished talking. Sasuke!”

“WE’RE DONE!” he shouted. “Can’t you see?! I am not that close to finding Sakura. If you want to find her, shut the hell up. And this?!” he gestured to the symbolic floor, “stays between us. Don’t say a word about these symbols to anyone!”

Sasuke turned his back on Naruto and left the cave with mixture of disappointment and anger. Frustration consumed him as he made his climb back to the library. He took one last glance at the symbols.

_The riddle of the symbolic seal must be answered,_ Sasuke reminded himself of his true purpose here. He already has the symbols imprinted to his memory. The only hope he has left in finding Sakura was the scrolls he has stolen from Shinkirōgakure.


	9. Chapter 9

* * *

**PART II **

_The meaning of life is not to be discovered only after death in some hidden,_

_mysterious realm; on the contrary,_

_it can be found by eating the succulent fruit of the Tree of Life_

_and by living in the here and now as fully and creatively as we can._

                                                                                                  - Paul Kurtz

* * *

**CHAPTER 9 **

Cool breeze brushed against his skin. He breathed in the fresh air that this world could provide. Obito stood still, silently greeting the sun. He took his mask and shoes off not a while ago and allowed the morning dew gracing beneath his feet. He liked this sensational feeling. He also liked the tranquillity of this place; birds chipping, wild flowers blooming to their season and the sound of the waves crashing the shore not too far away. He could get used to this place. He and-

 _Rin would love it here,_ he assumed it so.

He stared at his gloved hands, allowing himself to remember the very last moment of Rin. He could still feel her; just on the tip of his fingers. When he held her dead body in his hands, everything in him died along with her. He remembered his hands were soaked with blood as he held her closer to his chest. Tears kept flowing down his cheeks. He had begged her soul to return. There was no answer to his prayers. Losing her has taken him to the world of despair what was known to him as Hell. Yes, here in Hell with nothing but him and a lifeless body. He couldn’t acknowledge the fact that she was gone. With that, he was caught spiralling in the vortex of hatred: Kakashi, Minato-sensei, Konoha and the shinobi world. He could no longer care about this reality. It was the reason why he invested his life in creating anew with the _Tsuki no Me Keikaku_.

It would be so easy to dream the impossible which was almost achievable if only his original plan had gone smooth. The very reason why he pushed onwards with this plan was to live in the world where Rin could be alive and safe. A world where there wasn’t a system of shinobi, hero or villain, hatred or war to worry about- a reality that would never hurt her existence. If there was ever a chance to revive her- and not in Edo Tensei- he would grasp it. He would find a way to get her back. That was why he decided to abandon Konoha and its belief in the Will of Fire.

_Love is the key to peace?_

Bullshit. Even if it was Rin’s intention to keep the village safe, his only love still died in the hands of Kakashi’s jutsu and that was a fact. How the fuck was that supposed to be ‘peace’? It was nothing but collateral damage. Damn to the world as they know it. He would rather destroy it just to hear her heart beat again. If Tsuki no Me Keikaku was the only way to achieve that, for her, he would gladly rule that world and play God.

Indeed, he could get used to this place- the tranquillity and all. However, nothing was worth when Rin was still dead.

Obito put his mask back on. Finally, his compelled guide has returned from scouting information around a nearby village. He met him two villages not too far away. The man might be slow in his pace but he was useful since he was a local. No doubt, he knew the people well. There was also another reason for his usefulness but Obito decided to save it for later.

“I’ve checked with the locals. The place that ye seek… many men danna dare to go. It won’t be wise if ye insist, mi lord,” the man said.

Obito could sense he was hiding more information. The resistance of saying any further was showing all over his wrinkled face.

“I am not your lord. Speak what comes through your mind.”

“The land ye seek is across the channelling water in the direction of the greetin’ sun. It’s too far from here. Ye must travel by boat under the right weather. But men willna go there. Hirin’ someone to help ye across is impossible.”

“The right weather? The sea is calm.”

“Aye! Only by the coast! Swim there if ye so desperate! The rough water will take ye life and soon be dead. Itsa curse place, I tell ya.”

The man clearly has no idea who he was. He smiled. Not too long ago, he was fighting the world with power and fear. To him, the reference of curse was only a child’s word, and he feared no such.

“Still, I want to get across,” Obito insisted. He pulled a small bag of gold and handed it over to the man. He then activated his Sharingan. “Go buy me a suitable boat to sail across as well as necessary items for this journey. Once I’m on board, we are to set sail by noon. The earlier the better.”

At precisely three hours of worth waiting, the man managed to get him a boat and proper inventory for the journey. It wasn’t new but it was big enough and seemed suitable to sail across the sea. Obito didn’t question how the man managed to get a boat in such a busy harbor. He just wanted to get across, recruit Madara’s men and return home. He sat alone on the wooden boat deck while allowing the man to take the bridge and maintain its course. There was nothing to admire but the cloudless sky and the breeze of salted sea.

The journey to the distant east was farther than he expected. It has been uncounted days since he was away from Sakura. He didn’t like the idea of leaving her with Madara, considering it as a misfortune to reside her alliance with the devil.

When his ancestor made his appearance during the war, thanks to Kabuto, it was obvious that Obito needed to make a certain adjustment to his plan. He was so closed to achieve his dream when that Naruto brat and the shinobi alliance managed to extract the bijuu out of him. It was a moment of weakness and a mistake he dearly regretted- talking. What he should have done back then was to shut the hell up and focused on the project instead. Nevertheless, he had to confirm himself about the path he chose. And of all the people in the world, he had to confirm it with Naruto. The moment the bijuu were extracted, his whole body felt numb and he lay on the ground in feeble state, waiting for a shinobi to take his life. Even when Kakashi was about to kill him, he still couldn’t accept the lost because Rin was still his only ray of light.

And then Madara stepped in. His will, the black Zetsu, possessed half of Obito’s body and casted _Gedō: Rinne Tensei no Jutsu_ to bring his ancestor back to life. That bastard had used him.

 _A backstabbing ally, indeed…_ he thought. A backstabbing bastard who had also saved his life, twice.

Obito pinched the bridge of his nose, laughing to himself at the terms he used on his mortal ancestor. His facial drained to a sudden seriousness. The Fourth Shinobi World War wasn’t stopped by powerful Kages but by a very young pink-headed kunoichi instead. If he wasn’t numb at that time, he would have laughed out loud and rolled all over the ground. It was all too vague but he managed to find out pieces of truth.

Obito knew that Uchiha Madara was quick to act. He learned that right after his ancestor turned into mortal; he quickly recaptured and resealed the seven bijuu into _Gedō Mazō_. He was busy extracting the two remaining beasts when the alliance shinobi made a daring attempt to attack him from behind. Sakura was one of them. Obito couldn’t confirm what had occurred between those two. All he knew was that Madara caught some interests in Sakura that he was willing to halt everything he was doing, including the pursue of the remaining beasts. She then strangely made an agreement to reside her alliance with him and he accepted it so easily.

Perhaps that ‘something’ has to do with Sakura capabilities of dispelling Madara’s genjutsu at that time. Obito thought that including Sakura to the plan didn’t make sense. There was nothing special about her. She was just a normal kunoichi of Konoha who has brute strength and skills of the Fifth Hokage. She wasn’t the rank of kekkei genkai at all. And yet, Madara kept insisting that she was unique and precious to him. For five years, Obito personally trained her accordingly to Madara’s guide in expanding her knowledge and skills in all appropriate jutsu she must master. There were also certain experiments Madara had conducted to test her skills and abilities. Surprisingly, she managed to pass them all. Perhaps she was truly a precious being to Madara after all. The only problem was _why_. Of all the people in the world, why her?

The weather changed as the boat sailed farther into the distant east. What seemed to be calm at first has turned slowly into a swirling storm as they pushed on with the course. The strong wind howled, generating huge waves as high as ninety feet. There was no rain. Multiples surging waves crashed into the boat like battering rams against the hull. The aggressive storm continued to keep thrashing them around the bridge violently. Obito tried to hold onto practically anything he could reach. He set a sight on a leather loop by the captain’s seat and gripped onto it for his dear life. If this continues, they would lose sight of the horizon, thus throwing them out of course. Or worse, they would get swallowed by the brutal sea. Suddenly, the man’s warning about dying in the rough sea seemed real.

“Mi lord! Please! We have to turn around!” the man screamed in fear as he held the wheel and was unsure which direction he should make the turn. Many times, he shouted to return to the dry land, and too many times Obito used his Sharingan to keep him focus and insist on moving forward.

“Keep this boat straight ahead! Let me worry about these damn waves!” Obito put his right hand on the man’s shoulder. He then activated his Sharingan and whispered, “Kamui…”

It took for a few seconds to get what he wanted, but with his ability, he made himself, the man and the boat impenetrable against the obstacles of the rough sea. He managed to make the boat stabled and avoid the huge wave that was coming towards them. The violent waves went straight through them as though it was nothing.

“Damn that Madara,” he cursed, “The old bastard didn’t mention to me about Mother Nature being part of the tests when crossing this cursed sea.”

This storm seemed surreal and not for long, it strangely quiet down. He deactivated his Sharingan once the sea was calmed enough to sail through. The sun appeared again and he knew he was in the right place.

“Cut the power, lower the anchor and follow me,” he said.

The man abided Obito’s demand. Once the engine was turned off and the anchor was released, they moved to the wooden deck. Obito took in the surroundings and tried to sense out if anyone was out there in the opened sea. He sensed only a strong genjutsu weaving around this boat. It wouldn’t allow him to sense any further out. No genjutsu users or those with Sharingan could break this illusion wall. According to Madara, he needed something of value if he wanted to pass through.

_What kind of genjutsu is this? It’s vastly different._

“Go stand by the bow,” he ordered. He activated his Sharingan again and observed the man who was about to serve his full purpose.

Through Sharingan, Obito could see the full chakra flowing within his guide’s body. He slid out a kunai from his sleeve and followed from behind. Once the man stood exactly where he was told, Obito grabbed him by the hair and pulled his head to the back, exposing the neck to the world.

“I pay with blood and chakra. Release me from my debt to pass!” he chanted before he slit the man’s throat. Heavy blood gushing out into the sea. After a short satisfaction, he threw the dead body into the ocean and waited.

The genjutsu faded away but no one was around to welcome him. He thought he had made a mistake. Then again, he did follow what Madara had instructed him to do.

“Ah… a shinobi. FINALLY!” A manly figure appeared on a deck. The voice screeched in high pitch. “You, sir, are a cheapskate!”

“And why is that?” Obito carefully studied the man. He was probably in early thirties, plausibly the same age as him. His dark auburn hair was short and spiky. His skin was pale even under the tropical weather. There was no ounce of tan on his skin. He wore a sleeveless shirt (unbuttoned) with slack pants.

“How dare you use a useless chakra to pay a debt! You should have sacrificed a shinobi! It’s much worthier.”

“Funny when you mention that. From what I’d learned, you’ll only need blood and chakra to pass through. It didn’t matter if it was a shinobi.”

“Hmm… You’re right about that.” The man pounded to the answer that made quite sense. He took a closer look at Obito. “Black hair and a Sharingan… Are you… an Uchiha?”

“It seems this isn’t the first time you’ve seen an Uchiha.”

“Nope. This would be the first.”

The short odd answer was followed by mere silence. The man put his hands on his hips and was waiting for Obito to make another conversation.

“What’s your name?” he finally asked.

“Rukawa. What’s yours?”

“Obito.”

“Uchiha… Obito…?” A sweet innocent voice called out his name like a whisper in the wind. This time, a short girl stood on the rail to his side. Her purple hair was bob cut short. Obito couldn’t truly study her face because she was covered in bandit eye mask. She wore a cute mini skirt over the cat suit with a utility belt fastened around her small waist. She couldn’t be more than the age of thirteen.

The two strangers dared to look Obito in the eyes. If it was one thing he has learned from this brief meeting, it would be that they did not fear the Uchiha, or any shinobi.

“My name is Mariko.” She gave an eerie smile. “Your eyes are weird.”

Obito ignored the little girl and approached the man. “I was sent here by my ally- Uchiha, Madara. You are to be recruited under his terms and orders to bid his deeds.”

At first, Rukawa and Mariko stared at each other, puzzled by the stranger’s demand. Then, their confused faces burst into laughter.

“You… have no idea who we really are, haven’t you?” Rukawa asked and laughing away.

Obito cocked his head to the side. It was his turn to be confused. He thought that Madara had confirmed about his recruitment. His silence gave it away and they were quick to notice it.

“Ufu! He really doesn’t know. Rukawa-kun, we have to take our guest to _him_.”

“Eh…?! Why?! I want to kill him! You never let me enjoy my kill in peace,” he grumbled.

Barbaric, murderers- those were the terms Obito have used when he had a discussion with Madara. He clenched his fists tightly, thinking if he should make the first strike.

“Rukawa-kun, he’s an Uchiha. You know the protocol when you hear that name,” Mariko countered. She then approached Obito in a friendly manner and bowed. “It is a privilege for us to meet one of the oldest bloodline. Uchiha Obito, I welcome you to our land with honor. Please, follow us and we shall guide you to him.”

“Him?”

“Hmm… I guess in the Shinobi world, you called the highest rank as ‘Kage’? Yes, it is something like that.”

Mariko and Rukawa jumped off the boat and ran across the sea. Obito followed and kept up with them.

“Which clan are you from?” he asked.

Rukawa glanced at Mariko as she was staring ahead. Her lips were tightened this time, refused to answer the question. He then looked over to his shoulder at Obito. “We're not a clan. We're outcast. The ‘lost people’ is the right term.”

“Oh…”

“However, we're staying close to one clan. To us, they're considered as… royals. In fact, it’s our duty to protect them,” he said proudly.

“And what clan would that be?”

“Are you sure you are an Uchiha? You should know about it since you are one.”

“I can assure you that I am an Uchiha. Ask me all the questions you need to confirm if I am one, and I shall provide you all the answers to pass that judgment of yours.” Obito took a quick glance at Rukawa. The look on his face was slightly pissed off. “But there is no harm to ask a simple question; no matter how silly it is. To know what you know and what you do not know, that is true knowledge.”

“Spoken like a true shinobi,” Mariko commented, finally decided to join the conversation. She turned to Obito with a friendly smiling face.

“If this clan is my ally, I want to know.”

She chuckled to the oblivious stranger she has just met. “Well… it’s the Hagoromo clan, of course!”


	10. Chapter 10

When the little kunoichi mentioned the Hagoromo clan, Obito immediately was speechless. He was astounded upon hearing the name that he literally tripped on himself and fell into the sea. The two shinobi, especially Mariko, laughed at him. Travelling around the world throughout all his life, not once has he came across a Hagoromo. He only heard brief stories of them when he was a little boy. Such stories were passed on from the lips of Uchiha that he thought it was just old tales meant to scare off children.

The Hagoromo clan was one of the earliest clans which existed during the war- torn era, even before hidden villages were formed and established. They were once known as heartless savages. They had killed their enemies in the worst manner of cruelty, that under any circumstances it was practically inhuman to anyone’s eyes. They were the ones who fought alongside with the Uchiha clan to oppose the Senju clan in battles. A once strong and fearless ally of the Uchiha was now resided to an unknown island.

“Hold my hand,” said Mariko as she held it out to Obito.

“Why?”

“You’re not one of us. You can’t see our home,” she said, “It’s our first line of defense against the outsiders, especially the shinobi. If you’re not a Hagoromo or lack the mark, you can’t permit to enter our land.”

Obito dreadfully took her hand and she continued to lead the way. He took a glimpse at her little hand. There was a tattoo in a shape of shaded circle within an incomplete circle. “This tattoo on your hand… It’s an incomplete Hagoromo’s symbol, isn’t it?”

“Ah. It symbolizes the third eye. It allows us to see, well not everything.”

“So… it limits your sight except for genjutsu. Nevertheless, anyone can copy that mark, taking it as genuine so that one can have access, no?

“Copy the mark? Faking out as an ally of Hagoromo? Impossible,” she chuckled.

“Why not?”

“Hmm, that’s because the mark is uniquely tattooed with Hagoromo’s blood. We are their true followers. And only by _their_ blood, we’re permitted access to the land.”

It wasn’t there at first, but Obito could see it now. What was set in front of him was no longer an opened sea. The huge island was all around a bounty of green, canopied by trees which stretched probably hundred feet high, and that it encircled a lonely mountain. Below, the undulating small hills and slopes made up most of its surroundings. It looked almost like a wall; perhaps serving its purpose as a second line of defense. That begs a question: why the need of these tough defenses if the Hagoromo were once considered as savages?

The moment Obito stepped onto the white sandy beach, he sensed something of amiss. The feeling was stronger compared to the genjutsu he felt just now; it was as though something heavy was holding his chakra down.

“You felt that,” she said. It wasn’t a question but a statement.

“What jutsu is this?” he asked and activated his Sharingan to check his body.

Strangely, he couldn’t. Obito noticed that Mariko’s wary eyes were calculating him carefully. The seriousness of her facial expression said it all. That, and the fact that she didn’t want to answer him.

“It’s just a precaution.” She turned to her partner and cheerfully smiled. That serious side of her was gone in a flick of a second. “Rukawa-kun, you can go back to your post. I, alone, shall take him to our master.”

The man obliged. Mariko watched him as he dashed off to the sea and continued his posting. Once he was cleared from her sight, she returned her focus to Obito. That serious side of her returned.

“Come.” She curled her index finger as a gesture to follow.

They hurried across the beach to a fir tree, marking the base of the hill where the path began. The woods were covered with vines and trees, providing cool shades. There was no sound; not even the sound of any sort of creatures. Only the steady rhythmical laps of the sea could be heard thanks to these huge granites that were heavily arranged along the stone path. These granites produced echoes which could duplicate the sound as far away from the beach.

 _Another line of defense_ , he assumed. Another reason why he would not drop his suspicion.

Light from the western sky was slowly filtering through the clouds as they hiked the serpentine path. Twilight was upon them. As they hiked higher up the path, sunset crested over the nearby hills and casted shadows on the deep valleys below. He stopped himself from getting distracted and focused on his task. They hiked at a steady pace now, continually ascending the small side of the hill which oddly looked like the main entrance of the hidden village.

What caught him next was simply breathtaking.

As the last light of the sun filtering through the leaves, fireflies emerged from within the forest. They floated around like mystical lights and illuminating the path to the hidden village. Streetlights were lightened manually by two groups of young boys as they challenged each other in who could get the job done first. Obito soon found himself amazed by the gigantic grown trees that were as huge as tall buildings. One could have easily missed it that there were wooden cottages snuggly built inside and well-camouflaged into its trunks. The people of this village seemed to live and adapt in it. They wore simple clothes and Obito could tell the differences in their roles: carpenters, engineers and farmers.

“These are not shinobi,” he finally said.

“No. These are the lost people. _My_ people.”

“Your people?” He urged her to explain further.

“These people… they don’t wield chakra. They’re normal humans who managed to survive and escape from the horrible of past wars.”

“These people are fugitive,” Obito realized it too soon. Why would Madara send him here to recruit fugitive? These people brought no value to victory. It didn’t make sense at all.

“If you say so… It all started because of the war- torn era; long before your Shinobi World Wars. A long time ago, these people believed in your system. They’d put their trusts and their lives in the hands of the Shinobi. Of course, it was the Shinobi’s duty to swear an oath to protect the people who couldn’t even protect themselves, in exchange for a support. Turns out, it brought more wars, more bloodshed and more death to the shinobi and those who weren’t. These very people you see around you… they’ve learned their lessons from your kind’s past mistakes.”

The villagers’ wary eyes watched every of Obito’s steps as he made his way through the village. He studied every of their expressions. The men pushed their women and children behind the closed doors before grabbing simple weapons and putting themselves into defense mode. They deemed him as a threat. It was clear that he was not welcome.

“I’ve no idea how they learned of this place. It must have been word to word,” Mariko continued. Her lips pursed as she pulled herself into deep thoughts. “Five years ago, we received new badges of lost people. I was on duty at that time and soon, I learned that another war had happened. I remember there were two boats packed with fugitives. They managed to sacrifice one shinobi to make a pass. That wasn’t acceptable. So, I gave them a choice. I saw a few of them have chakras within their bodies and I specifically told their leader to cut their throats and spill their blood into the sea as a payment.”

“Your job is to simply pinpoint those who have chakras and watch them die as they killed each other?” Obito tried to read the little kunoichi.

Mariko pulled a devil’s grin. Her eyes glittered with excitement as she shared her tale of witnessing a battle royal. She might look innocent to anyone’s eyes but that mindset of killing instinct was built into her since she was younger. _Barbaric, traitors and murderers_ … Either she was too blind to see it all or she was too dumbstruck to notice it, but what she had done was the exact known behavior of Hagoromo clan- as heartless savages. The children’s stories- mere myths- were slowly turning into facts.

“No hard feelings if these people have a major grudge on you,” she said, “In case you get stabbed by the lost people and survive, feel free to scream for help.”

“Is that sarcasm I’m detecting from a little girl?” He wondered if she knew who started the Fourth War.

“It was your fault, initially.”

“So, which village were you from?” he annoyingly asked, promptly to change the subject. “These are your people, which means, you’re also a fugitive. You must have come from somewhere.”

She was lost in her thoughts for a while.

“Well… I wasn’t born in that shinobi world of yours. In fact, twelve years ago, my mother gave birth to me on that very same beach we’d passed through. She had a major constriction outside the genjutsu wall, and someone I truly respect was on the other side. There wasn’t any shinobi to pay the debt. So, my mother decided to pay with hers. Her blood oozing down from her thighs and was mixed into the sea. She was in terrible pain and he quickly dispelled the genjutsu and rushed out to help her. He carried her to this island and laid her on the beach but no more. And then he helped her in delivering me. After that, she died paying the full debt so that I could pass through and live here.

 _This girl is way oversharing,_ he thought.

“I’ve never witness a war in my life. So, I’ve never felt a sense of lost for anyone. I pity my people because they seek here for peace and we established that very well.” She gestured to the village and her people. Indeed, he could see the peace. Just as what he has imagined for the Tsuki no Me Keikaku. Here of all the places in the world. “It’s not my place or rights to judge, by the way, even to you. However…” her voice changed to a serious tone. “I do resent for my mother’s death… and we do have our ritual in revenge.”

“The sacrificial of shinobi into an opened sea. That was your revenge?”

“It’s a long term revenge and this method is one of the teachings and ways of Hagoromo.”

“Is this truly their method? If so, your revenge will not be a never-ending bliss,” he scoffed.

“Don’t you dare demeaning their knowledge! The way of Hagoromo is the truth!”

“And what do you know of the truth when you didn’t even witness a single war?”

“ _We_ don’t need to.”

There was a strong dense when Obito stared at those cute little brown eyes of hers. Her evil glare was challenging him. She was so confident that the teachings of Hagoromo were the only truth despite everything has happened in this world that he has to question the sensibility of her beliefs- the whole village’s beliefs. He wouldn’t ask her. Getting answer from a little girl was troublesome enough and annoying. Besides, she was too young to know things.

Mariko mentioned that the lost people stayed on the ground level and that the Hagoromo clan lived high above so that they could watch over them. He looked up to the cliff, taking it all of its natural beauty. The waterfall created a steady pattern of endless rhythm. It seemed as though it was dividing the cliff into two, allowing the fresh water from the mountain running its course through the village and escaped towards the sea. There was a dense mat of ferns and moss that gave the air an earthy smell as they climbed up the stairs.

Once they have reached the peak, he found more cottages within the trunks of giant trees but the designs were more defined and beautifully crafted. The people were well mannerly dressed in their kimonos. The men wore the hakama which was worn over the haori, and the women wore different types of kimonos. This just proved the separation of the classes and the differential of social norm between the Hagoromo clan and the lost people.

Hushes and whispers surrounding him. Obito caught phrases like ‘Uchiha’ and ‘Madara-dono’. Unlike the lost people, the Hagoromo clan seemed to know which bloodline he belonged to. Their non-threatening eyes followed him as he and Mariko made their entrance into the grand hall. As they took the long walk to the other end of the hall, he could see a high iron throne (the only majestic furniture) placed right on the center of the marble platform. He sighed as he made a mental comparison to Madara’s dungeon throne. Nothing could beat the beauty of this place.

Mariko led him in front of the throne and waited. Just in a nick of time, the doors to the left wing grandly opened. A man walked proudly towards them. His features were very manly. He was well-built and tall in his frame. Even under his roof, he wore partial dragon scaled armor attached to his chest and arms. If Obito was allowed to make a guess, Sasuke would have looked almost like this man on his current age. The only problem he has with this man was the color of his eyes and that Hagoromo symbol on his forehead.

“Ryūjin-sama,” Mariko squealed as she placed her clasped hands on her lap and bowed. “I’ve brought a guest. He’s-”

“An Uchiha, I know. I felt his presence the moment he stepped into our borders. Follow me,” he gestured. “My father is waiting for us.”

The man headed back towards the left wing entrance which led to multiple hallways. Two guards stood strictly on their post on every turn. The man led the way as Obito and Mariko followed closely behind.

“You don’t imply on proper introduction. Such etiquette from a Hagoromo,” Obito accused. The man was exactly like someone he was familiar with.

“Proper introduction isn’t necessary until you make yourself known to the Lord of Hagoromo. You already know my name thanks to Mariko, and I will soon learn yours when you make your appearance to my father.”

 _Well said for an asshole_ , Obito thought. He took a quick glance at Mariko. She was still squealing to a man who was probably ten years her senior.

Ryūjin opened an iron gate to spiraling stairs. He didn’t mention where he was taking them. The stained wall and the smell of decayed and musty air pretty much telling that Ryūjin was taking them to a dungeon. Not a proper way to meet a lord.

“Before we enter, remove your mask. You too, Mariko,” Ryūjin commanded.

Mariko removed her bandit mask and kept it in her pocket. Obito ignored and Ryūjin immediately put a hand on his shoulder to stop him from proceeding.

“I hate to repeat myself,” his voice deep and threatening, “Get rid of that silly mask…”

 “ _Proper introduction isn’t necessary until you make yourself known to the Lord of Hagoromo_ ,” Obito quoted.

“What?”

“You’d said it yourself.” He brought his masked face closer to Ryūjin, constantly wanting to irritate him. “The revelation of my identity shall be known first to the Lord of Hagoromo. Showing my face to you isn’t necessary, dragon boy. I believe I have my rights.”

And that, literally pissed Ryūjin off.

They have finally reached the bottom of the stairs. Dimmed light casted throughout the dungeon, setting aglow the aged walls as they made their way through. The walls were cobblestone, with moss growing from each crevice. Chains were lying on the walls with hammered metal shackles on the floor. In the air, hung the scent of suffering and death.

Obito was prepared to meet the lord but he didn’t expect to meet him down here. What he wasn’t ready was the sight of hundreds of human bodies gruesomely impaled to the black rods which were planted to the ground, leaving the bodies suspended. Blood drained everywhere. He shook his head, disbelieving the horrible sight. He didn’t know if they were still alive or dead. He just didn’t want to know.

A movement in the middle of the dungeon caught his attention. Another hundreds of dead bodies lying on top of each other. He should have listened when Ryūjin had demanded him to remove the mask. Now he felt like he wanted to vomit.

The tyrant, in his mid-fifties, approached Obito in a haste manner. He grabbed his mask and got rid of it. His eyes studying every inch of his features.

“So, it’s true then! You have returned!” The tyrant took a closer look at Obito’s eyes. “Sharingan and Rinnegan. Interesting…”

He dashed back to the middle of the dungeon, dragged a dead body and shoved it to the ground where Obito could see clearly who it was.

 _So, the piles of dead bodies are White Zetsu_ , Obito gulped.

“You look like shit, Madara. You look younger than I am, and I envy you for that. But still… you look like shit.” He cocked his head to the side. “Whatever happened to your pretty face?”

Obito could only stand still. He knew so well where he should stand in a presence of an oldest bloodline. In a manner of diplomacy and for the alliance sake, it was important to show a high amount of respect to those who were above him; even if the tyrant was a heartless savage. He took in the surroundings once again. For now, he could only confirm that the children’s stories of Hagoromo clan were all true.


	11. Chapter 11

The Lord of Hagoromo was covered in blood from head to toes. The blood didn’t belong to him nor did it belong to the White Zetsu. Artificial humans couldn’t produce blood in their bodies.

Obito glanced around the dungeon. The bodies that were impaled still have their head protectors on their forehead.

 _The Shinobi’s blood_ , he confirmed.

It seemed the sacrificial in the sea wasn’t enough for the lord that he busied himself with torturing his unfortunate victims by impaling, dissecting bodies and more impaling.

_Such a tyrant, indeed._

“Couples of months ago, these white zombies with no balls tried to cross into my borders, and they kept coming over since. They talked a lot! They even said that you’re alive and younger. I don’t believe a crap coming out from their mouths…” the lord chuckled. He decapitated Zetsu’s head simply by slashing with one swing of his double-edged sword. He then shoved the head to Obito. “…Until now. Is this _your_ doing, Madara? Because if it is, you better provide me an explanation.”

The stenches of decayed corpses and blood were getting stronger and Obito couldn’t stand staying down here any longer. He decided to come forward with the truth about himself.

“Forgive me. It’s not my intention to be rude, but I’m not the person who you think I am. I’m Uchiha Obito, an ally and a descendant of Uchiha Madara. He’d asked me to come here, alone, in seek of recruitment and reform our alliance.”

The lord finally lowered his hand, still holding Zetsu’s head. He glared at Ryūjin and ordered, “ _Remove it_.”

Two simple words from the lord and Ryūjin quickly clasped his hands together, forming hand seals and chanted, “Release!”

Obito immediately felt as though a heavy burden has finally lifted from his body. He could feel the chakra rushing from the core and spread throughout his veins. He could also feel his strength returning too. The lord re-examined Obito, carefully studying his detailed features this time. His eyes drawn down to the abdominal region.

“My son’s mistake,” he admitted, finally leaned back and slowly glared again at Ryūjin. “You’ve brought the young Uchiha here.”

The accused words prevented Ryūjin from looking at his old man. Obito was left to watch the embarrassment and disappointment of the young Hagoromo.

“I didn’t know-” Ryūjin struggled to explain, “No, there wasn’t a time for-”

“I have enough with your incomplete excuses,” the lord cut him off. He turned his back from everyone and walked to the nearest sink. Awkward silence filled the air as he washed his arms and face. “You’re the second Uchiha who witness _my_ Hell. Of course, the first one to see is Madara. He liked what he saw. Whereas I can sense that you don’t.”

It would be terribly rude to question his ruling, no matter how cruel it seemed to be. That was why Obito decided to keep his opinion to himself. Ryūjin stepped forward in attempt to introduce him to his father. However, the lord put up his hand, shook his head and pointed out to his son that there was no point since he hadn’t made the effort to learn the guest’s name. The honor was lost. Ryūjin could do nothing but look to the ground, feeling rejected and demoted.

The lord approached to Obito once again and this time, his facial expression wasn’t a pleasurable sight. He was slightly huge in size than Madara. An old scar could be seen from the temple of his head down to his broad jaw- a badge of honor (perhaps) due from the past wars. His aged platinum hair was wet that his bangs literally stuck to his forehead, covering their clan’s symbol. He kept his beard unshaved which made him looked more rugged and fierce. None of these truly bothers Obito except for those familiar eyes that he couldn’t place on where he has seen it before.

“I’m Hagoromo Tatsuo, Lord of Hagoromo Clan. The First of My Name, Protector of Hone-shima and the one who Guards the Lost People,” he introduced himself.

Such responsibility for a man who has the strangest hobby. And yet, the way he had dragged Zetsu and decapitated him was practically inhuman. Humans or not, the Lord of Hagoromo didn’t seem to bother about disrespecting the dead. With just those observation, Obito could understand why the Uchiha Clan had taken side with them during the war-torn era.

 _The absolution of power and fear_ , he believed.

Obito was about to gesture a bow when Tatsuo waved it away. “There’s no need to. You’re an Uchiha; practically like a family to us. Now, about my son. You do understand that as a lord, I don’t apologize. However, the heir does. So…”

“There’s no need to. He’s still young. He will learn eventually. However, we have an important matter to discuss. It’s best we talk somewhere in discreet.” It was the best way Obito could think of to get out of this horrible dungeon.

“Your bloodline always does,” he annoyingly exhaled. Before he could bark orders, Ryūjin already has told Mariko to have clean clothes ready for the lord and make preparation in the private study room where the meeting is going to be held. After Tatsuo quickly changed into his new clothes, they made their way to the study.

“By the way,” Obito insisted to make a conversation to ease down the somber air and break the ice, “what jutsu did your son use on me? It’d felt heavy, like someone had put a weight on my chakra.”

“You felt that,” Tatsuo said as a matter of fact. Obito’s eyebrow arched, noticing the similar words Mariko had used. “The jutsu you felt was _Mukōka no Jutsu_ , a nullification technique wielded and used by Hagoromo clan only. We used this jutsu mostly during battles by cutting off their chakra supply and going for the direct kill. It’s the simplest technique and to be feared of at the same time.”

Of course, one must be feared of such jutsu! Every shinobi has chakra and every use of chakra has turned into jutsu. To null the chakra from the main core and prevent to form jutsu would be hell for any shinobi in the world.

“Shinobi truly depend on their chakra so much. Nullifying the chakra will leave them nothing but Taijutsu. That is a very dangerous technique,” Obito claimed.

“And yet, not all shinobi can feel it when their chakra is threatened. You’re an Uchiha. It’s an exception since you’re one of the descendants of Rikudō Sennin.”

“You know about the history of Rikudō Sennin?” he asked. It was too late. He didn’t manage to hide his shocking face.

“Not all stories are written in stones,” the Lord of Hagoromo glanced at him and slyly smiled.

The doors opened to a room. The study was no any different than Madara’s or his, except for the windows. There was a huge oak desk place in the corner of the room. Shelves were filled with books and scrolls were placed neatly by the walls. Tatsuo decided to take a seat on the couch by the fireplace. He then gestured to Obito to sit in the opposite.

“So, how is Madara? Has he finally ceased scheming around? Did he manage to find his so called ‘peace’? I remember he used to talk so much about the shinobi and their philosophy: Peace, war, the failure of this world and bla bla bla… I nearly slept through it all,” he chuckled and shook his head.

Even though the tyrant’s conversation was warmly mannered, there was something strange about the things he has mentioned. He talked as if he and Madara have known each other for a long time. How could it be possible? Tatsuo seemed to be in his fifties and Madara was more than a century of age.

And out of the blue, Tatsuo asked Obito to share his tale of Shinobi life. He earned himself another surprise by the lord’s interest. Since the man was eager, he willingly shared what was needed to gain the trust of the Hagoromo, and to finish Madara’s damn task. Obito told a tale about his life in Konoha all the way to the Fourth Shinobi World War. He also included the mission that nearly cost his life (at the price of a scar and his right Sharingan), and how Madara had found him and saved his life.

“…Madara had died and yes, he was brought back to life by _Gedō: Rinne Tensei no Jutsu_. You seem to know him very well,” Obito commented, “Perhaps you know of his plan in taking over the world?”

“ _Īe_. I don’t know of his plan but I do know him. That man has a lot of hatred.” Tatsuo gazed out the window and sighed. He then returned his focus on his guest. “I can tell that you’re a dead ringer of him. If it wasn’t for that chakra in you, I couldn’t tell the difference. So, he saved your life and after _that_ incident with your friends, you allied yourself with him. Hence, he entrusted his teachings to you.”

“He said that this world is full of things that doesn’t go as one desires. I thought he babbled nonsensical. Turns out he is right about this reality. The selfish of Shinobi’s desire to which they let themselves to believe that they can achieve peace. There’s no peace when wars and hatred still exist,” he scoffed.

“Let me ask you this, Obito, and in return, you shall answer me honestly.” He shifted in his seat. Obito leaned forward and waited patiently for the question. “You’ve witness the light and darkness of this world with your own eyes. What does humanity mean to you?”

That was a good question. One that Obito cannot afford to answer it simplistically. It wasn’t a question about Shinobi. The question of humanity was the reference to all kind and for the first time, he was stuck. He looked at Ryūjin for answer but he was busy throwing a wood into the fireplace, keeping the flame alive. He then took a glimpse at the lord. Obviously, he was waiting for an honest answer. Obito allowed himself to remember all Madara’s teachings- all the pain, suffering and emptiness. A life without Rin.

After assuring himself with the truth of this world, he finally said, “The strong shall live and the weak shall die- an act of survivalism for all humans no matter what the situation lays ahead.”

“I see,” he mumbled, “ _He’s_ still not happy, huh? It’s such a pity.”

“I’m here upon Madara’s request,” Obito said, intending to change the topic and be done with his task. “He requested to recruit your men and in hopes and desire you would join him in his quest to-”

“Let me stop you there,” Tatsuo held out his hand to cut him off. “I have retired from war.”

“Retired?” he was confused.

“Do you know who I am?” he deliberately asked.

“You’re Hagoromo Tatsuo, Lord of Hagoromo Clan.”

“Do you know who we are?”

“The Hagoromo clan is one of the oldest bloodline in the shinobi world. One who is still _ally_ of the Uchiha,” he emphasized. “It seems that the legend of Hagoromo still lives, and is not to be taken lightly since I’ve witnessed your _interesting_ hobby.”

Tatsuo exhaled in frustration, still irritated that his son had brought the wrong Uchiha into the dungeon. He glared, casting an evil eye to his son again and then to Obito.

“Throughout my life, I’ve witnessed shinobi- men and women- made foolish promises and beliefs that they are capable to seek peace. How did they achieve peace? Through war. They believed that their way is the right way and that no other is capable to achieve what they’ve desired. Why couldn’t they settle things through conversation? It doesn’t take a lot of effort,” he paused. “My father was killed in action during an old war. I took over. During my reign, I’ve lost five of my children in battles. My wife committed suicide and my beloved sister was taken away by my mortal enemy. I assumed she died in the process of being kidnap. Now, I have one hopeless son who thinks we should all march to war, spread the bloodshed and die. I don’t want to die because I have responsibility. My clan needs me here as their lord. Those lost people kept coming through. The Gods know how they have learned of this place. I did persuade them to go back to their lands. Apparently, this place is like Heaven to them that they didn’t have the need to look back. I am too old, too tired and too grumpy to go to war with Madara.”

“But you’re closed to Madara’s physique. I don’t understand why you called yourself old.” These reasons alone wouldn’t pull the lord’s decision to his side. “Madara said you will listen to _one particular bloodline_ , which means the Uchiha. We’re your closest and _only_ ally.”

The Lord of Hagoromo didn’t move. He didn’t even utter a word. He was reading Obito’s Sharingan and Rinnegan eyes, as though trying to seek the truth.

“Otousan-” Apparently, that caught Ryūjin’s attention too. He slowly approached his old man.

“Say no further. Ryūjin, have the men prepare for my journey to the west. I’m heading to the Shinobi world,” Tatsuo ordered. His voice was intensely low and quiet. “You and Mariko will join me in this journey. Have the steward to watch this place over while we visit a dear old friend of mine.”

“Only the three of you?” Obito asked. “Madara requested an army.”

“He didn’t request for an army. He requested for men,” Tatsuo countered. “Tell me, young Uchiha, those white zombies with no balls, what did you call them again? Is it your doing? Did you create it?”

“White Zetsu,” he answered. “No, it was Madara. He didn’t specifically explain to me why he created them or what their purposes for that matter. He only said that they were nothing more than rejects of a failed experiment. We did, however, use them for the fourth war. They’re quite useful. I think he wanted to make an army but it wasn’t a successful outcome.”

“No, _that_ isn’t his intention…” Tatsuo voice was still low. His words continued to drift away. “Have you ever wonder how Madara able to outlive his true lifespan?”

Obito understood the question very well. Tatsuo wasn’t asking about Madara’s return to the Shinobi world. He was talking about the aging Madara who lived the remaining days of his life in a cave.

“Yeah… He’d escaped death. He prolonged his lifespan through absorbing chakra from _Gedō Mazō_. How did you come to know of it?”

“I see,” Tatsuo devilishly grin widened. “I’ve entrusted my gift to him and he happily scheming away, even at that age. Typical Madara. He will never rest in peace.”

“Gift?” Obito was seriously confused.

“I guess there _is_ something he didn’t bother to mention to you,” he chuckled. “That thing he named Gedō Mazō? That was my gift to him.”

“I thought Madara summoned it from-”

“Yes, yes, yes… _From the stone it was sealed into_. The stone is an origin from this island. It’s something of ours. A heritage, as you may call it. Madara requested for it a long time ago and I allowed him to have it as a gift. Of course, he was too old and weak to blissfully carry that huge statue away. The stone was specially sealed and one cannot summon it so easily until he has those _Saṃsāra_ eyes- one that is similar to Rikudō Sennin.”

Tatsuo stood up the moment Ryūjin left the room. He took two steps towards Obito and bent forward, looking directly into his two unique eyes. His hands placed on his hips.

“When I asked you who I am, you answered my name. When I asked you who we are, you answered my clan. My questions aren’t random. They are necessary for me to understand your kind,” he paused. “I am _The_ Hagoromo Tatsuo and I have reign this forsaken land for the past eighty-five years, which makes me a hundred and five years old. To worship of a certain divine that had once walked on this very land, it is a shame that you, humans, do not know the truth. Nevertheless, you know of _It_. Everyone has seen of _It_.”

“ _It_? As in the Jūbi, the original ten-tailed beast? The progenitor of everything that exists in this world. The one that divided the lands, created countries and moved the mountains-”

“Madara has taught you well,” he approved. “We served the Shinju, which is also known as the God Tree. It is the very reason why we lived this long.”

Obito leaned back. His eyes already widened and his mouth hanged loosely. The old man in front of him was one hundred and five years old. The source of his prolong lifespan was the God Tree itself.

“I like you, young Uchiha,” the Lord of Hagoromo laughed to his heart content before tapping Obito’s cheeks, treating him like a little boy. “You’ve yet to see something of value in the truth. In time, you will learn. You will see.”

* * *

Tatsuo left his guest in his study. The maids would attend to him. There were things he needed to settle and confirm with the steward before heading to the west to meet Madara. Sensitive things he rather not discussed with the young Uchiha. If what Obito has claimed to be true, he wanted to see it with his own eyes.

 _It seems Madara has kept his promise,_ he smiled at the thought of it. It was strange how cruel his friend was to the world, and yet that bloody fossil of an Uchiha was genuinely nice to him. It almost felt as though he was a brother- a twisted one.

Somehow, he had forgotten his manners and decided to return to the study. He sneaked his head into the room and caught the young Uchiha engulfing himself with books. He might be a dead ringer of Madara but his heart wasn’t. Tatsuo could sense that there was still goodness in his heart, and that fossil friend of his hasn’t fully turned him.

“Obito,” Tatsuo called, “it may seem a little too late but I hereby welcome you to _Hone-shima_ , The Island of Bones.”


	12. Chapter 12

The weather was typically bright and warm in the Land of Fire. Early morning mist began to clear the dew laden grass. Sunrise casted its rays dissipating the clouds and the penetrating lights seeping over the landscape. The air was very clear now. Animals in the woods stirred to their daily routine. The tranquillity of this place can easily ease anyone’s mind.

“Such troublesome friend you have there, Naruto,” Shikamaru commented.

Unfortunately, the road home was alive to the sound of bickering men.

Naruto, Sasuke and Shikamaru had just passed the country’s borders. In less than a day and a half, they would be back in Konoha. Sasuke led the front, as usual, while pretending not to listen to Shikamaru’s list of complains and nags about risking the laws of diplomacy and the alliance that involved of not two but three villages; Or that his law-breaking acts with his Team Hebi/ Taka (whatever the team’s name for now) was not acceptable. Naruto was totally in shocked by the list of consequences. Whereas Sasuke, on the other hand, just waved it away.

“You. Ignorant. Ass!” Shikamaru shouted. “Do you even care what you’d done?! Oi, Naruto! You better talk sense with this guy!”

He didn’t have to use Kurama’s ability to sense the Uchiha’s anger.

Escape from the secret volt of Shinkirōgakure was easy. After they had successfully stolen the scrolls, Sasuke compelled the weak guards to forget their faces and acknowledged that nothing had happened during their post. After that, it was an easy breakout. But helping his friend to steal some scrolls from the secret volt was rather an odd scheme. He couldn’t understand the need of it. He didn’t ask for reasons because he couldn’t risk the time they had left. Not until the very next morning when he had burst into Sasuke’s chambers, demanding for answers. The demand was short-lived because his backstabbing nakama shoved couple of scrolls to his face and told him to read and write notes about the symbols they had seen in the cave. That was Sasuke’s way of asking for help.

And he had spent every day in his friend’s chambers, trying to decipher the codes of symbols; with Kurama’s help, of course. Everyday, he had tossed and turned, trying to figure out what any of these symbols mean. Sasuke, on the other hand, was all calm and composed. His eyes focusing on the scrolls, studying its contents while his hand busied writing down notes. Eventually, they had to step outside and mingle around or else the good people of Shinkirōgakure would raise suspicion.

Unfortunately, the stress from studying the scrolls had finally caught up to them, causing to form unnecessary arguments such as ‘ramen is not real food’ or that ‘bow belt makes one looks like a gift’. Unlike him who preferred to use people as punching bags when under stress, Sasuke preferred to conceal his anger. He might seem all cool and compose, but on the inside, he was like a sleeping volcano waiting to erupt. Kurama had described it that way. When the Uchiha reached his limits, he deliberately shouted to anyone who had annoyed him and activated his Sharingan for no reason. At the last fits of his tantrums, Sasuke did the silliest thing of all. He had set a few of useless scrolls on fire just because he was bored.

“Two weeks! Two weeks without a damn explanation! Even God doesn’t have such patience! Naruto, what have you been doing?!”

He understood Shikamaru’s demand for the truth. However, pressuring Sasuke wasn’t the best idea, since he was in no mood condition.

The man wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer. Too many times Shikamaru was being ignored. So, in light of bravery, he stepped forward, stopping Sasuke in his pace. His dark eyes challenged to those of the Uchiha’s.

“You will listen,” he demanded, “You can fool those villages, you can fool Naruto. You aren’t going to fool me. What you did back then, was wrong! Had your fish friend gotten captured, terms won’t sit well with Konoha. You could have jeopardized everything we have built and stood for.”

“In the end, he didn’t. No one gets hurt and no one dies. You did your job. Get over it,” Sasuke answered sarcastically. He walked pass, completely ignoring the obvious. "Putting Suigetsu as a distraction wasn’t a brilliant idea. It could have been an easy capture, but to have him teamed up with you reduced those chances to none.”

“You’re kidding me, right? Are you even listening to yourself? You think with that attitude of yours, you can pass yourself as a ‘Kage’?” he spat. Those very words have earned him the infamous Uchiha’s glare. “I am… NEVER… going to acknowledge you. No one will.”

**_There’s tension between them. This is bad… Naruto-yo, you have to do something…_ **

“Shikamaru, head to the village now. I need to talk to Sasuke... alone,” Naruto demanded, his voice was deeply stern.

There was nothing but brooding silence. His friend might not trust Sasuke, but he gave enough reason to trust in him instead. Shikamaru obliged. He took one last glance at them before dashing ahead towards the village. Once Shikamaru was out of sight, he turned his focus on Sasuke. The Uchiha’s desire to kill was slowly building up.

“You want to burn our nakama with your Amaterasu?” Naruto accused. “You do realize that you owe him an explanation.”

“Tempting to,” his friend scoffed. His eyes focused on the horizon, in the direction of Konoha. “And no. I don’t owe anyone.”

Naruto immediately threw a kunai directly at Sasuke. The Uchiha easily deflected it with his Kusanagi sword. The kunai dropped to the ground with a thud sound.

“You owe _me_ an explanation,” he emphasized, successful at grabbing his friend’s attention. His tone voice, for now, was calm.

No words were exchanged. They only stood still and studied each other’s expression. Going straight forward was the best choice when facing a no-mood-to-talk Sasuke.

“This does say it all, doesn’t it?” he continued to press on. “You know that you can’t do this by yourself. You desperately want to seek Sakura-chan on your own that you forget everyone in Konoha does too. Just tell us. We can work as a team and get her back. It’s better as a group than one man to go up against those bastards.”

“It’s so easy for you to say. I can’t risk it. I can’t risk her; not when people are talking ill about her.”

“Then tell me,” he sighed, feeling a slight disappointment. “I’m part of Team Seven, aren’t I? You may not trust others, but you can definitely trust me.”

“That’s the thing, Naruto. This isn’t about Team Seven. This is between Sakura and me.”

Those words hurt him, but he took the pain in eventually. He pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to remember the very last moment of Sakura. Madara was busy extracting Kurama and Gyūki out of him and Uncle Bee. The jutsu was too strong for either of them to counter. He had used all of his effort to pull it back but to no avail. And then suddenly- the pull stopped. He thought that Madara had been killed and that they finally won the war. He was wrong. What he had witnessed next shocked him the most. There, in front of Madara stood Sakura. He had his fingers wrapped around her neck. The chakra cloak on her was gone, perhaps absorbed by the enemy. A mix of panic, fear and rage arose that Naruto immediately ran towards them- towards her- without a second thought. Kurama had warned him not to get close to her because it could be a trap. Nevertheless, he chose to ignore it because Sakura was extremely closed to danger. He had his Rasengan ready and was about to beat the shit of Madara when he was pushed by a technique called _Shinra Tensei_ \- one of Pain’s jutsu. Naruto didn’t manage to hit Madara with his Rasengan, but he managed to hold onto Sakura’s hand, trying to pull her to him. It was the only way to get her away from the enemy. Regrettably, the Uchiha pulled her back into his grace and casted another almighty push directly to his chest. Her fingers were barely in his grasp. Before he was deflected away, he saw her tears and she finally said her last words:

_I’m so sorry, Naruto…_

And just like that, she let him go.

“This has nothing to do with you,” Sasuke lied and walked away.

“Really? Then how come the both of you were talking about me before she was taken away?”

That has stopped his friend from moving.

“How did you-” His friend’s voice strained in surprise.

“You know, I hate these games of deception, especially from the people I cared most.” He unzipped his jacket, letting the collar loose so that he could breathe. His voice trembling low. “We’re not kids anymore. You, of all, should understand how hurtful it is to be lied to. And yet, you think hiding the truth from me will make things easy between the both of you?

“Day after day, month after month, year after year, I’ve waited for any news about her. Words circulating of her death fear me the most. And I held my prayers in hope that she is still alive, well and safe. I’ve searched for her across five countries and not once I’m closed to finding her. You, on the other hand, couldn’t even tell it to my face that I’ve wasted my effort and that the truth was with you all along. Where is the trust in that?”

His sharp blue eyes firmly judged those dark ones.

“Funny when you mentioned _trust_ ,” Sasuke put a hand on his hip as his head tilted to the side. “You don’t seem to trust her strength.”

“Of course, I do! She’s strong and smart. She’s-”

“I’m not talking about _that_ kind of strength,” he interrupted. “I’m talking about her strength of will to fight. It seems that you don’t trust her on that.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You claimed to say that we’re Team Seven and yet, you tend to forget who she really is. Sakura is not just a member of ours. She’s a kunoichi. She fights.”

“So is everyone in the Shinobi Alliance.”

“And yet during the fourth war, you had thanked her for healing you and had simply told her to relax while everyone was advancing into battle.”

“She’s a medical ninja. She mustn’t get hurt.”

“And because of that, you had wanted to put her on the back of the line so that no one could hurt her; a place where she could be safe. Naruto, even before she turned into a medical ninja, I never once doubt her will to fight. Tell me, where were you both when we were ambushed during our first mission to the Land of Waves?”

That has caught Naruto off guard. Who could have forgotten their first mission? Sakura had jumped in front of Tazuna, to protect the bridge builder from the attackers. Whereas for him, he had turned into a coward by curling himself into a ball. He grumbled to the memories he must live with for the rest of his life.

“You barely know her,” he continued, tightly clenching his fist. “She may look tough to carry all the burden but she’s just a girl who-”

“That’s my point. You still see her as a girl and no more. You’re in regret that she’s not with us, and that she’s under the care of my infamous bloodline. You’re regretting with the fact that she had indirectly asked your permission to fight by our side, and that how you wish that you could have changed your mind.”

The Uchiha flipped the thrown kunai in the air with his sword and threw it back at him. He caught it with his bare hand. The kunai cut his skin and he allowed it to bleed.

“You said that she has a plan and that she would know what to do,” Naruto pointed out. His voice was now as cold as ice. “And as much as the both of you plan to keep the truth away from me, it doesn’t change the fact that I’m part of _that_ conversation. You already know this, Sasuke. When the moment she had spoken my name, I’m already involved. So, don’t shut me out where I can’t reach you both.”

“If you insist,” the Uchiha sighed and looked him in the eyes, “I’ll tell you what I know even though it’s not my place to tell you everything.”

Naruto’s expression changed with a beacon of hope. He was about to say something when Sasuke held out his hand and shook his head.

“Not here. Once we get back to Konoha.”

* * *

A soft knock on the door interrupted him in the middle of his studies. Orochimaru looked up to see Tsunade in the hallway, holding a small parcel.

“Why am I not surprised that you’re still up?” The Hokage asked.

He averted his eyes back to his notes.

“You know me well that if something has caught my interest, I will get in my zone no matter what the time is.”

She approached the nearest chair that was opposite of him and took a seat.

“Don’t let me catch you scheming around.”

It was a warning that earned his slithering glare and Tsunade gladly countered it with hers. He could understand why Jiraiya chose her to be the next Hokage. Her instinct was sharp and strong. On top of it all, she’s the granddaughter of the First.

It was difficult for him to speak the name of his childhood friend. He was saddened when he received the news that Jiraiya was killed by Akatsuki. Death was inevitable in this world, regardless if that person was a shinobi. And throughout the years, he witnessed death of his love ones. First, it was his parents. Then came Tsunade’s younger brother, Nawaki and soon later her lover, Dan. These deaths have caused him to desire for immortality. The death of Jiraiya concealed his craving for more.

However, that wasn't his priority now. They have a bigger enemy to be concerned about and he must focus to defeat the still living and breathing Madara. Because he studied Hashirama’s cell and deemed as an expert in unique bloodlines, he was permitted to return to Konoha. Even better, he was allowed to stay in the Hokage’s residence. The good news, he has all the access to forbidden books, scrolls and notes. The bad news was that he wasn’t allowed to do any experiments and was under the watchful eyes of Tsunade. It might sound weird, but it felt almost like home.

 “Is that it?” His eyes drifted to the parcel on Tsunade’s lap. “Is that from the young Kazekage?”

Tsunade followed his glance. She then put the parcel on his desk.

“Ah. This is the one that you’d mentioned and asked for,” she sighed. “I still don’t understand your theory though.”

“No one does. In fact, I may be wrong.”

“What do you mean?”

“Something so simple cannot be a coincidence, can it? If my theory on Rikudō Sennin is correct, I’ve no doubt that this little box is the answer to defeat Madara,” he pursed his lips and felt disappointed at how small the box is. “Did you or that boy Naruto manage to see what is inside?”

“Nope.”

“I’m surprised, Tsunade-hime. Usually, you’re the first one to jump on curiosity. And Naruto being Naruto, he looks like that type of person,” he chuckled.

“I can’t open it,” Tsunade grumbled.

“What?”

“That’s the problem. I can’t open it. I’ve tried with all my strength for days.”

 _Even the smallest thing can change the course of this world,_ he thought. He took the box and studied it closer. This ought to count for something since it couldn’t forcedly open even by the inhuman strength.

“If you can’t open it, this means the box is sealed with a jutsu.”

“Exactly,” she pointed out.

“But…” He twirled the box several times in different direction. “…there’s none. I don’t see it.”

“There must be a way.”

“There has to be. Interesting,” he studied the box again. Something about it screamed mystery. And he loved himself challenge. “How are we supposed to open a lock if we can’t even see one?”

“Orochimaru,” she called. Her voice was a serious tone.

“What now?” he asked. His mind was too indulged by the item.

“I think it’s best to send your protégé to Ryūchi Cave for training.” He tore his gaze and looked at her, slightly surprised by her opinion. When nothing was said, she continued, “Are you going to argue with me on this one?”

“No… I agree with you. I’ll be quite busy with these,” he gestured to his desk which was filled with books, scrolls and notes, “and I don’t think I have the time to teach Sasuke about senjutsu. After reviewing all his techniques, I decided I want to send him to Ryūchi Cave for further trainings. Tell him to come see me immediately once he’s back in Konoha. It’ll be good preparation just in case that Madara shows up. Besides, he’s the type of person who doesn’t like to lose to you-know-who.”

“Ah. Uzumaki, Naruto.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update. I was busy editing chapter 21.


	13. Chapter 13

Madara allowed the whore to straddle him. He watched as she dropped the straps of her dress down to her waist. Her reddish hair was wild like fire. He groaned to her exotic huge breasts as they were exposed to the chill air. He liked what he seen. Compliments to his servant on a job well done for finding a whore at the expose of his needs.

“I wonder… Have you thought the warmth of my bed, my body covering yours and that my cock buried inside you?” He slid his hands over her breasts and felt it puckered to his touch. She moaned. He chuckled to the respond. When she didn’t answer him, he twisted the rosy nipples and teased.

“Ah… AH… YES…” she moaned louder.

“Pardon?” he slyly asked as his hands massaging her breasts. He then glided his hand downwards over her stomach, further down to the area between her thighs. His fingers now splayed on her damp curls and playing with the sensitive nub. She immediately quivered.

“Anything… for you… Madara-samaaaa…” she spoke as the quiet gasp left her throat.

He stopped and told her to get rid of her remaining dress. She expertly removed everything and threw it on the floor while still straddling onto him. She then rubbed her naked body harshly on his cock, worshipping it and craving for it to be inside of her. And she was rewarded as she felt its hardening. Madara wet his lips with his tongue and she understood what her customer needs. She slowly crawled over to him, lean forward to his face and guided his chin to her breast. And like a starving babe, he latched his mouth onto her nipple, lavishing her expertly with his tongue and teeth. He hungrily suckled her nipple before he bit her hard before she screamed in pleasure. He moved on to the other breast and did the same.

“I want you in me… now… Your needs grow… mine as well…” she sighed as she grinded her core on his temptation while he was still busy sucking and biting her breasts.

The whore needed to be taught a lesson for no one could give a command to an Uchiha. Madara grabbed her by the waist and pushed her to the other side of the bed, with him now conquering over her. His nostril flared and his fingers tightened around her neck. The pleasure in her melted into fear as she witnessed his true character flashed across his face.

“I will not bow to your will, whore!” he spat. He stared at her with his Sharingan and Rinnegan eyes, just like Obito’s. She trembled at the sight. Satisfied with her expression, he swiftly removed his pants and spread her legs widely for him to see. She was already wet and his cock hot and stiff. Without a shed of concern, he forcefully entered her. She groaned in pain to the length of his manhood. He was too big for her cunt. He didn’t allow her to adjust to him and he thrusted his shaft deep into her with nothing but hatred in his mind.

He was angry; angry about the lost of his brother, angry about his former friend and angry about the world. Izuna was everything to him and he loved him dearly. Ever since three of his brothers were killed in battles, Madara had become overprotective of his little brother. He kept him very close and shared a strong bond with him than anyone else. He and his brother had trained and obtained greater ocular powers, hence, able to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan, became the leader and protected the Uchiha clan.

 _Thrust_.

It was an unfaithful day that brought a deep impact to his life forever. The attack made by Tobirama on Izuna was a serious wound. Before Madara and his brother retreat, Hashirama mentioned about ‘true peace’ again and Izuna told him not to trust his enemy’s words. Once they retreat, he entrusted his Sharingan eyes to Madara and made a promise to protect the Uchiha clan no matter. Shortly after that, his only remaining brother died. The bond he had forged with Izuna was severed by his death but the love of a brother was never withered from his heart. And he fell into a vortex of bitter and vengeful towards the Senju, causing him to embrace the Curse of Hatred.

_Thrust. Thrust. Thrust._

Izuna’s death increased the anger in Madara to a tenfold and he confronted Hashirama once again, this time, with Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. Unfortunately, he was defeated. He laid on the ground and allowed to question himself all the things he had done in life. He failed to protect his baby brother. He failed to protect his clan. Above all, he failed to fulfill his revenge. And for that, he would gladly welcome death because the only thing he wanted was to be together with his brothers especially Izuna.

He would finally die to be with his brother and faced his disappointment until Hashirama pestered him about peace even upon death. So, Madara gave him an ultimatum: Kill his brother or kill himself. His childhood friend chose suicide because it was the only way Madara could trust the Senju. He made his clan swore an oath before planning to take a kunai and plunge it to his heart. He was about to stab himself when Madara reached out his hand and literally stopped him from the selfless act.

In a moment of time, the Uchiha and the Senju clans were able to maintain peace. They able to create a village and form a system as a step towards their dream. However, there was no such thing as peace when there was still hatred dwell within the shinobi’s hearts.

Madara overheard a conversation that made him questioned reality. Upon realization, he knew that one of these days the people of Uchiha were going to be exterminated if this ‘silent hatred’ was let to continue. He had warned and told his fellowmen to take their families and leave the village, but to no avail. They decided to stay. Slowly, he doubted the trust and the village’s worth. Not long after, he doubted the shinobi system Hashirama has created. At that point, Madara knew that ‘real peace’ would never be obtained.

That was the reason he left Konoha because in the end, he had found another way. And he swore to himself that he would succeed where Hashirama failed.

_Thrust. Thrust. Thrust. Thrust. Thrust._

And he swore to the only woman he thought he could have a future with- the one who had left him and betrayed his heart.

_Thrust._

He paused for a while.

“Oh… Madara-sama… Please continue! Don’t stop now… please…” the whore begged.

Madara shook his head and continued to drill the red-headed bitch. She screamed in ecstasy. She wrapped her legs around his waist and locked it with her ankles. He pushed deep into her. She bounced and he pushed into her again. When he was reaching his climax, he grabbed her thighs to shove himself away from her but she wouldn’t let him go. She then curled her arms around his neck and held tightly onto him. Her forehead braced against his shoulder and she listened to the slapping sound their bodies produced and glanced down at where they joined. Fervently, she picked up his pace and rocked herself to the edge.

“Damn you, bitch!” he groaned as he tightly squeezed her breasts and released his seeds into her.

“Madara-samaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!” she called out as the waves of pleasure washed over her.

After satisfying the whore, he quickly got up and dressed. He cursed the woman for causing him to be late for a meeting. He took a quick glimpse at her. She was panting and her legs still spreading shamelessly wide, but her eyes dire for more pleasure.

“We still have time…” she purred as she crawled to the edge of the bed and reached out for his pants. She was definitely hungry for more.

Madara walked towards the connection door to his study and didn’t look back. “Stay here. I’ll be needing your service again.”

The moment he left his chambers and stepped into his study, he found the pink-headed kunoichi standing in front of the fireplace. She was covering her ears with her hands. He approached to her and looked at that innocent grumpy face.

“You can put down your hands, my dear. The torture is over,” he said.

“You have the tact of summoning me to your study and forcing me to listen to those vile sounds!” she pointed out. Her voice sounded angry but it wasn’t rude.

“You’re old enough to understand what pleasure sounds like,” he countered. The shock on her pretty face was rather displeasing to watch. He preferred her temper than this look of hers.

His servant interrupted their silent glare. He brought in his master’s favorite wine and inarizushi for refreshment. Madara gestured Sakura to eat but she refused.

He annoyingly sighed and turned to the servant, “I thank you for the woman you’d sent to my bedchamber. But in future regards to the presence of Lady Sakura, never allow anything to tarnish her innocence and her ladyship reputation.”

The servant bowed down to his master’s feet and apologized to the lady. Madara waved it away. Once they were alone, he approached to the leather armchair, took a seat and munched his favorite dish. “Satisfied?” When she didn’t answer, he assumed it as a yes. “Right, let us get on with business then. What have you learned?”

What exactly has Sakura learned? It wasn’t a map that Obito had suggested. There wasn’t a clue that led to a treasure. She clutched the scrolls in one hand and her notes on the other. She had burned midnight oils every night to study the ancient scrolls. It took a toll out of her physical and mental energy to understand every symbol that was drawn, and that she finally finished deciphering it two hours ago. Tired, hungry and moody. She was about to make a presentation to the ancient psychopath.

“We already know that these scrolls contain ancient text,” she exhaled, “and this particular text is a dead language of the shinobi world. What I’ve found out is that this language is a combination of lines, patterns and shapes into one. You’d mentioned that these scrolls belonged to Rikudō Sennin. Indeed, that it is, but the language is surprisingly older than what we seemed to believe. I cannot define how exactly old the language is but I can tell you that this language- the symbolic text- is to test intelligence and that it chooses the one who is able to see it, to read it and to understand it.”

“Enlighten me,” he said, carefully watching her as he drank the wine from his glass.

“Almost all the symbols on these scrolls cannot be found in our great library, which tells us… that these are the words from the old world. It doesn’t exist anymore and no scholars or shinobi can interpret it. What deem lost is forever gone from this world except for the last evidence of its existence.”

“Which is…?” he inquired, leaning forward in his seat.

“Bloodline,” she answered.

The ancient psychopath smiled a malicious smile.

“Bloodline is a line of descent,” she continued, “It’s also known as the last name significant throughout the whole human generations. The terms of bloodline were commonly use as a title and to identify the ancestral linage. But according to these ancient scrolls, it turns out that the bloodlines took the symbols from these texts and make it as their own. Ergo, the symbols of the shinobi’s clans.”

“Explain to me how you decipher these scrolls when none of these symbols exist in our current texts.”

“Well, a few of the symbols came from some of the clans. That was a crucial key. Then, I deciphered it by common letters. ‘E’ is the most common since I believed that most words have E’s in them. The second most common letter is ‘T’ and the most common word is ‘THE’. After that, the rest follows.”

“The scrolls,” He grabbed another piece of inarizushi and popped it into his mouth. “Read it to me.”

Sakura took a long glance at the scrolls again and admiring the lines, shapes and patterns.

A mixed of excitement and fear whirled inside of her. Excited because these belonged to Rikudō Sennin- the God of Shinobi, and at the same time, she feared that she might get it wrong. She was a perfectionist after all.

She took a deep breath and read:

* * *

_“The Legend unfolds,_

_The real me unfurl._

_The path I seek to learn,_

_And the path I choose to take._

 

_“For the sake of my beloved, what can I do?_

_When the world is trembling insufferable pain, lost and fear-_

_The Undying Cycle of Hate._

_“And I guide with all of my knowledge but one._

_And I bestow my trust to all._

_Though I bid not to be worshipped,_

_For I am just a man._

_“And to my love,_

_For I seek the truth- a perpetual peace._

_I never see a dream that won't come true._

_This I believe, this I can see._

_“In time,_

_I shall witness with my own eyes._

_For I am deep within breath,_

_In a never ending journey between Heaven and Earth._

_“And through this journey I shall learn._

_I shall seek what I had bestowed._

_Have I taught you naught?_

_For I am just a man.”_

* * *

Silence filled the room as Madara studied her intensely. Sakura waited for him to speak but she could only hear the crackling sound of the burning wood from the fireplace. And she waited patiently to be judged.

“You’ve outdone yourself, my dear,” he said. Those words made her look directly into her enemy’s eyes. He didn’t smile but he acknowledged on her success on deciphering the symbols. “Do you understand what it means?”

“I’m afraid I don’t. I didn’t have the time to,” she honestly answered.

“What did you feel when you read it?”

 _Feel? Is this supposed to be a poetry reading?_ She thought. Madara only told her to find the meaning of these symbols and read the scrolls to him. He didn’t mention anything about understanding its content. Her tired eyes ran through her notes again.

“It felt as though he wrote it to a lover?” she guessed. “Yet, the words… it sounds like a will. Specifically, _his_ will,”

“I believed that he wrote this to his wife.”

“His wife?”

“I did tell you the story Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo and his sons, didn’t I?”

“Yes… The oldest inherited his ‘eyes’ which includes his powerful chakra and mental energy, whereas the youngest inherited his ‘body’- his powerful life force and physical energy.”

“He inherited those to his children,” he agreed. “But what of his beloved wife who was a maiden from an honored family? He couldn’t leave her with nothing.”

 _Could these scrolls were meant for her?_ She wondered.

“Legends said that she was upset about his beliefs and that she’d threatened to leave him. He’d begged her to stay and insist to have faith in him, but she stubbornly refused. One night, she managed to take back her feathered robe, left him and returned to her homeland. It’d hurt him but he never gave up on her. Hence, to the woman who bore him two sons, he wrote and left her these scrolls. Even on his deathbed, he craved for her to be by his side. It’s unfortunate and sad to die without seeing the love ones. And that on his final dying breath, he spoke only of her name and no more.”

“He still loves her…” Sakura spoke out loud.

“ _I still do…_ ” Madara was staring her, but his mind was elsewhere. The words were soft and yet, she swore it was meant for someone he used to know. A tiny moment; the sensitive side of him vanished.

“I’m a little disappointed in you, Ojōsama,” he chuckled, “You read it but you didn’t see it.”

She didn’t understand. “If I couldn’t see it, you wouldn’t hear me read this out loud.”

Madara heavily sighed and stood up. He ordered Sakura to stand beside him on his right side. Once she was close enough, he pulled up his right sleeve and exposed his arm to her. Her face was curious to the purpose of revealing his arm to her. Without warning, he twisted his right arm and pulled it apart. He then let it drop to the floor as if it was nothing. His precious kunoichi screamed.

“This is an artificial arm of Zetsu,” Madara explained to shut her up. “It’s a temporary replacement for my arm since I’ve lost it during the fourth war.”

“No blood…” She stared at the pale zombie-like arm.

“Yes. That’s one of the good things about artificial human. Sakura,” he called. Her focus snapped back to him. “I want my arm back. This will be your test.”

She challenged his dark eyes. “You want me to grow your arm back?”

“Yes. You’ve done your training with Obito and you’ve passed all my tests so far. You will do this.”

Madara had used Obito to train her according to his guide. In his guidelines, he had taught and advanced her knowledge in healing. She hated to admit it, but it was a higher level than Tsunade-sama’s techniques. And Madara kept pushing her limits and allowing her to excel her skills than her sensei’s. It was as though he wanted her to do better than her former teacher.

“The last test we did was growing someone’s finger. That was two days ago. It completely drained my chakra. I don’t think I have the energy to heal you today. At least provide me some rest so that I can mend my chakra.”

“Obito pampered you too much! No wonder you are slow in your training! YOU WILL DO THIS NOW!” he ordered.

Sakura glared at the ancient psychopath as she threw the scrolls and notes to the floor. She placed her hands to Madara’s upper arm and activated her mystical palms technique. She focused all her control and activated her forehead seal. The seal extended its curvy lines all over her face and body.

“I’m ready,” she claimed.

“Good.” Madara activated his Sharingan. His left hand formed a seal, focusing his chakra at the point on his two fingers. “Use my chakra. You don’t have to deplete all of yours.”

“You’re being generous,” she said, “This will stretch your bone density. So…”

“Just do it.” His voice was dangerously low.

She took two of her fingers and touched her forehead seal. The extended seal from her body absorbed into it. She then transferred it to Madara by touching the tip of his two fingers and wrapped around it seven times.

She closed her eyes and chanted the words as the seven circular seals bound his fingers. “ _Reiki: Reiji-hō!_ _Sahasrara… Ajna… Vishuddha… Anahata… Manipura… Swadhisthana… Muladhara…_ ”

Right after she felt the energy, her eyes immediately opened and focused on the chakra control. The extended seal she’d transferred to Madara dispersed from their finger tips and stretched throughout his body. She slowly guided their fingers to his upper arm and started to heal. The bones started to grow and so were the muscles tissues, the veins, the arteries, and nerves. Madara groaned only once. Her eyes watched him. He was biting his own lips to hold off the pain, experiencing the pain she had felt when she went through the same process. She ignored his pain and focused on his arm. She noticed that the bones were growing faster than expected. It must have been the Hashirama’s cell in him.

It took almost four hours to complete the growth. Once the healing was complete, Sakura released the seal and deactivated her jutsu. Feeling a little woozy, she collapsed. Madara caught her in his arms before she dropped to the floor. He was drained too, but he carried her to the nearest couch anyways. He wiped the sweat off her face and let her drink his wine. The moment the wine touched her lips, she slowly took a sip. The sweet taste of the wine regained her consciousness. She didn’t collapse due to the usage of her chakra of course, but four hours of concentration on the jutsu did.

Out of thirst, Madara ignored to refill his glass and drank the whole wine straight from the bottle. Sakura could see the wine spilling from his mouth and down to his neck.

“I have to admit, you are indeed a gifted student. You are even better than that granddaughter of Hashirama. I am very proud of you,” he panted, “And now, for the final test.”

Sakura was told not to move and wait for his return. The ancient psychopath walked to the door that connected to his bedchamber. She was left to wonder at his next request. She was too tired to move. She wouldn’t want to go anywhere, and she didn’t think she could survive another test if he insisted on casting another miracle technique.

Suddenly- the door to his bedchamber burst opened. Madara dragged a naked woman by the hair and shoved her to move. The woman was young and very attractive. Sakura wanted to help her but she was too weak. All she could do was to help herself up and face them. Madara stood behind the woman, still grabbing her reddish hair.

“What’s the meaning of this?!” Sakura asked, defiantly.

“Your final test. This woman is my whore. You must recognize this kind. Even from this red hair of hers, I can tell that she’s an Uzumaki.”

“An Uzumaki?” That caught her interest and she studied her features despite her nakedness.

Madara forced the woman to face him. She cried and pleaded to let her go but he ignored it. He pulled out a kunai and immediately stabbed her in the abdomen before dragging the blade to her heart. Sakura covered her mouth to silent her scream. Blood gushing out from the wound and spilling down to the floor. The study room has become a bloodbath.

“YOUR WOMB IS NOT WORTH OF MY SEEDS!” he spat to the dying whore. Satisfaction that she was dead, he pulled out the kunai and let her go. The body dropped to the floor with a thud.

Sakura was speechless. It was cruel of him to kill an innocent in front of her eyes. He was using her weakness to shake her with fear and from it, he has obviously won. She was shaking, just like when she had confronted him five years ago during the war. No words could ever describe his cruelty. And so, for the first time, she cried in front of her enemy.

“This is where your real test begins,” he said and pointed his finger to the dead body, “You may bring this whore back to life.”

“That’s impossible,” she defied.

“Nothing is impossible. You’ve learned from the best. I’ve showered you with all the textbooks and scrolls from all around the world. You’ve learned all human anatomy, the function of chakra system, and you’ve successfully applied it to your techniques. I’ve watched your progress, my dear, how you’ve grown in terms of knowledge and skills. This time, I want you to create something of your own. This will be a technique only you can use. It will be difficult but I believe that you can achieve it.

“Your main task for now,” he pointed out, “is to bring a dead back to life and I don’t mean ‘Kishō Tensei’, ‘Edo Tensei’ or ‘Rinne Tensei’. When you performed this technique, you- as well as the dead- must survive.”

“You want me to bring back the dead?” Her voice was low. “There’s a line that shouldn’t be crossed. Not even you.”

“I lived. I died. And then I live again. There’s no line for me to cross.” When she didn’t say anything, he continued. “You shall decide to the choices you’re given. I noticed how fond you are with that maid of yours- Ayumi from the Village of the Moon. Must I kill her to start your interest in achieving your new technique? Or must I continue my killing spree- your parents, your former sensei, your dearest friends, etcetera, etcetera. I can go on with the list.”

“Don’t you dare! You’ve promised me!” she screamed. She wanted to punch him but she was too weak.

Madara neared himself to her and whispered to her ear, “Your lover, perhaps? I may not know their names but I do remember two boys trying to grab you away from me. Which, I wonder? Was it my descendant- the baby Uchiha? Or was it that little Uzumaki brat?”

“You disgust me,” Sakura hissed and pushed him away.

“Maybe I’ll just kill them both,” he warned and pulled a devilish grin.

Madara left, leaving Sakura alone in the study to make her decision. If she didn’t create a new jutsu, he would kill everyone she cares for. He was the kind that doesn’t resist.

 _Sasuke-kun… Naruto…_ she silently cried calling their names. Obito was right. Madara would have her precious killed.

That begs a question: If Obito and that ancient psychopath were truly allies, shouldn’t Madara already learn Sasuke’s and Naruto’s names by now? Perhaps Obito didn’t mentioned their names to him… yet.

 _Is there hope putting my bets on Obito?_ She wondered. It wasn’t the time to gamble. Best to depend on herself rather than someone else who could turn things around and stab her in the back. She wiped her tears away and put herself into deep thoughts. She didn’t allow the dead body or the pool of blood to distract her.

The manipulative Obito and the psychotic Madara- both have used her to gain what they want most. _‘Being use’ has its many ways and purposes. Exploit one’s weaknesses to attain desires and goals. It is cruel but it is affective._ Madara had taught her that. However, the ancient psychopath seemed to forget that weakness could turn into strength.

She drummed her fingers on her knees and drew her eyes on Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo ancient scrolls.

Today was a waste of effort. It wasn’t just the meaning of symbols that Madara wanted. He wanted her to see something that was invisible even to the Rinnegan? It must be. Or else he wouldn’t let her waste any time decrypting codes.

A technique to revive the dead without losing on either side. Only an act of God could do that. Nevertheless, Madara believed that she could achieve it. And he didn’t even give her a deadline.

 _Very well, I gladly accept the challenge,_ Sakura claimed. She picked up the scrolls and notes, and left the room for hers. She didn’t bother to take another glance at the dead woman. Her priority now was to protect the ones she loves.

Indeed, ‘being used’ has its many ways and purposes. The ancient psychopath’s threats have given Sakura a purpose in life- to find out the truth behind the scrolls and create a new jutsu. The moment she gains and gather all the trump cards, she would play the game and use it to defeat Uchiha Madara.


	14. Chapter 14

Ino crossed her arms, leaned against the gate entrance and waited for Sasuke’s team to return. She has been standing and waiting at the same spot in the cold dead of night for half an hour now and it was really starting to get on her nerves. This has Shikamaru and Naruto written all over it because she knew Sasuke would always be on time and he would never make someone wait.

In truth, she has been secretly working with Sasuke and he insisted to keep it that way. It all started when he personally visited her shop one day and requested for a favor. When she suggested about hiring her to fix his garden, he mentioned ‘Sakura’ instead, and warned her about his plan which was against the Hokage and the shinobi’s laws. She doubted about helping him at first but the moment he said that she was the only one who could help him, the doubt magically vanished. It was strange- in a good way- for someone who was strong enough to face against Madara, needed her help. Then again, it was an opportunity to get close to Sasuke professionally and personally.

Her mission was simple: For every anbu spy returning to Konoha, that person must go through her test which means, digging their minds for information. She thought it was not a big deal of a mission until three of her reports couldn’t make sense. With every team of four anbu spies had gone on a mission to find Sakura, only two returned. The remaining groups were in similar results. She then used her jutsu and took a peek into their memories. To any other Yamanaka, it might look normal. To her, however, it appeared someone has tampered with their memories. Whoever that person was, he was an expert at forging it. If it wasn’t for that tiny scratch, she wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.

Three men in the shadows were walking towards the village. Ino watched them as they came into the light. She was about to give a major lecture to those three when she noticed their somber faces.

“Okay… Obviously, something bad has happened. What’s with the faces you’re all giving me?” she asked.

“Ino, what are you doing here?” Sasuke asked. “It’s late.”

She beamed when he called her name. “Tsunade-sama has asked me to welcome all of you back, and that she wanted to see you immediately.”

Naruto and Shikamaru looked at each other and panic soon rose on their expression whereas for Sasuke, his mind was racing in deep thoughts.

“Okay, I don’t really like to repeat myself but something obviously has happened.” Ino tipped her toes and looked over their shoulders. “Sasuke-kun, I thought there were four of you. What happened to the orange hair guy?”

“You don’t have to worry about him.”

Ino studied his dark mysterious eyes and nodded in understanding. She neared herself to him and smiled as she put her arm around his when out of the blue, Shikamaru pulled her away from him. “What the-? What is wrong with you?!”

“What is wrong with me? What the hell is wrong with you?!” Shikamaru yelled.

She gave him a confused look and shrugged. He pouted and pulled her further away from Naruto and Sasuke. Even in this distance, they could still hear their bickering arguments.

“Did you do _that_ Uchiha any favors?” Shikamaru asked.

His voice didn’t sound accusing but the question did, and Ino didn’t like that manner of accusation. When Sasuke returned to Konoha after the war, people started to talk behind his back. They didn’t really accept him because the war itself was started by an Uchiha. The good ancient name became stigma and fear in everyone’s minds ever since. Every time he walked through the village, people would give him the wary eyes like as if he was a walking disease. There was no need to read their minds. Their eyes said it all: _An Uchiha can never be trusted_. Ino hated them for thinking that shallow. Who gave them the rights to judge if Sasuke was good or evil? Because in her eyes, he was the Hero of Konoha too.

“You need to stop talking like that. Sasuke is our nakama,” she scolded.

“Let me be the judge of that. Now tell me. Did you do him any favor?” His thin eyebrows furrowed.

“No! And why do you sound like a jealous guy?”

“I’m not-!” he huffed. “Don’t lie to me, Ino. I can tell you’re lying right now. Sasuke is your weakness; always has been. You will do anything for him.”

“That’s practically none of your business!”

He heavily sighed, “So that tells me you really did him a favor.”

 _Ah shit! So much for keeping it a secret from everyone else,_ she cursed. Shikamaru might be a slacker but he wasn’t stupid.

“Why are you suddenly angry at me for?! I didn’t do anything wrong!” she declared.

“Did he touch you?” he suddenly asked.

“WHAT-?! NARA SHIKAMARU! YOU BETTER TAKE THAT QUESTION BACK OR I’M GOING TO-!”

“That’s it! I shall not allow you to be used by a snake! COME, WOMAN!”

“Stop dragging me, YOU CRAZY MAN!” Ino tried to wriggle her hand free but his grip was tight. She looked back and called, “Sasuke-kun!”

Shikamaru pulled her away and headed straight for the Hokage’s Office without a word, while Ino kept nagging at him to let her go. The neighborhood woke up to a sound of petty quarreling.

“Yup, you still owe him an explanation,” Naruto commented as he looked on at Shikamaru and Ino.

“Shut up, dobe.”

“Man… everywhere we go, you’re always in luck with women. What did you do? Did you go to a shrine and pray to the Seven Lucky Gods? Every single time, a couple of women will fall at your feet and the men will cast you the ‘evil eye’. Look at Shikamaru, whisking Ino away... from you.” He shook his head and looked at his friend. They walked slowly to the Hokage’s Office. “Anyway, what are you going to tell Tsunade-baachan about our ‘mission’?”

“Use your imagination.”

“You’re not going to tell her what you’re planning to tell me?”

“Are you disappointed?”

“No… it’s just that it will be nice to tell this to Tsunade-baachan since Sakura-chan is her favorite student, you know. She’s worried and all.”

“She will go ape-shit on you if you tell her.”

When Sasuke put it that way, Naruto realized that his friend was right. He, himself, had almost turned berserk the moment he learned that Sasuke kept the truth from him. And he wouldn’t dare to try on the Fifth infamous tantrum. He gulped at the thought of it.

“So, since we’re back in Konoha, now is the best time to tell me,” he innocently smiled.

“Are you an idiot?! We don’t have time for that now,” Sasuke scolded. His eyes focused at the front but his mind was elsewhere.

“Ah!” he realized after studying his friend’s face, “You’re afraid of Baachan.”

“I’m not afraid of anyone, dobe!”

“I thought you’ve figured everything out. No wonder you told me to be creative.”

“I did. I just wasn’t sure if she’ll buy the ‘mud monster’ story. I didn’t ask Suigetsu to do that. I told him to distract the village. That is all.”

“What if she didn’t believe in us?!” Naruto panicked.

Sasuke rolled his eyes in annoyance. “MUST I DO EVERYTHING?!”

“YOU HAVE TOO SINCE THIS IS YOUR PLAN!”

“OI!!! QUIET DOWN, YOU ODD COUPLE! PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO SLEEP!” a neighbor screamed. The dogs barked and the other neighbors started to rouse.

“This is your fault, dobe!” Sasuke accused. He quickly jumped on the roof.

“None of this would have happened if you just tell the truth, teme!” Naruto retorted. He followed right behind him.

The two strongest shinobi of Konoha dashed and jumped over buildings to make a quick escape. From far, the lights in the Fifth’s office were still switched on. The worst was not over... yet.

Sasuke checked on Naruto. Sweat started to break on his nakama’s brows. _Could the Fifth really be that scary?_ He wondered. He remembered Sakura’s mega punch on the mini Jūbi. His ‘teammate’ was surprisingly strong. He thought it was a beautiful execution that the pink-headed kunoichi made a punch into the enemy once, high jump and then punch the enemy again into the Earth, breaking the land into pieces of boulders with nothing but her brutal strength. Then again, he thought Madara should be the one to be feared of.

He smiled at that thought. He decided that his idiot friend was worried over nothing. Facing the Fifth should be a piece of cake. However, his instinct told him to take precaution of what would lay ahead. And so, he took a deep breath and silently pray to the Seven Lucky Gods just to be sure.

* * *

The veins on the Fifth Hokage’s forehead suddenly popped up. Everyone in the room withdrew a step except for the young Uchiha. Naruto, Shikamaru, Ino and even Shizune were standing rigidly still and panicking, whereas Sasuke kept himself cool and compose. Sasuke was mentally calculating Tsunade’s state of rage. She wasn’t on the level of madness of Raikage yet.

“A mud monster attacked a humble village?!” Tsunade asked.

“Yes,” Sasuke answered.

“And it happened during a feast on the day of your arrival?!”

“Yes.”

“But the monster didn’t attack anyone?!”

“Yes.”

“Why do I have a feeling that this is all bullshit?!”

“…”

 _Because it is, Tsunade-sama! Because it is!_ Shikamaru thought.

 _Don’t be angry… don’t be angry… don’t be angry…_ Naruto thought.

**_Hey kid, are you talking about me?_ **

_No, I was talking about Tsunade-baachan. Her temper can be worse than Sakura’s._ And then, there was silence in his mind. _Kurama?_

**_Good luck, ya’ll! I’m going to sleep. Night…_ **

_Ah! You’re running away!_

**_No! I’m going to sleep! Go settle your own shit!_ **

With that, Kurama left Naruto to defend himself.

“I can assure you that it’s not,” Sasuke opposed. He put his hand on his hip to show the side of his seriousness.

“Explain in detail.” Tsunade leaned forward in her seat and observed him.

“The attack was sudden,” he explained, “The village was put under a state of mild chaos. The chief of the village responded, though he was slightly confused. Nevertheless, Naruto insisted that we should help. I agreed to make the assist with my team, along with the Sands, upon the chief’s agreement. That’s when I executed my orders.”

Tsunade wasn’t truly convinced. She turned to Naruto. “What were his orders?”

“Eh? Umm… Well…” Naruto glanced from Tsunade to Sasuke. Their fiery eyes glared at him. The look on Tsunade-baachan was telling him to tell the truth. The look on Sasuke, however, was telling him that if he didn’t cooperate, he can say goodbye to ‘Sakura’. He took a deep breath and said, “Sasuke’s response was fast and it was the right move. He’d ordered for the women and children to get to a safe location as top priority. The monster didn’t attack the villagers at all. So, there were no death casualties or any injuries by the mud throwing. He told Jūgo and the Sands shinobi to assist them from the sidelines whereas Shikamaru and I were to tail the monster from behind and assist anyone on sight.”

“And where were you?” Tsunade turned her focus back to Sasuke.

“I was with the chief on the watch tower, providing some guidance when he needed it. I let him took the charge.”

“Why?”

“Because it will bruise his tender ego if I’d taken over everything,” he smirked.

Another vein popped up on the Fifth’s forehead. Everyone withdrew another step, but Sasuke refused to budge. He was the one who set this plan and of course, he had thought this through. Even though he wasn’t around to observe the fake attacks, he had Jūgo for that. Which was why he would gladly tell the Fifth full details about the attacks… from Jūgo’s point of view.

“Anyway,” Sasuke continued, “everything went smooth until our diplomat successfully got himself captured. He was stuck on that monster’s head and we took it as a hostage situation. The Sand woman desperately tried to get him back and she chased them down with her big fan. The monster was afraid but it refused to let Shikamaru go.”

Everyone directed their attention to Shikamaru.

 _Fuck you, Sasuke! Why am I the damsel?!_ He silently scolded. He studied Naruto’s expression. His trusted friend slightly shook his head to him. He decided that ‘indirect’ truth was the answer.

“Ah... I was taken… as a hostage…” he grumbled.

Tsunade, Ino, Shizune and even her pig, were in total shocked.

“While Shikamaru was struggling with his… incapability to escape, I had enough of it and decided to make my first strike.” This was where Sasuke decided to twitch the story. After he successfully hid the scrolls in his chamber, he and Naruto quickly joined the faux battle to assist the other teammates. He told Naruto to dispel ‘Sasuke’ and help him with his jutsu after that. “I combined my Fire release into the air with Naruto’s wind element, make a small thundercloud and pull out a little lightning.”

“A little?” Shikamaru sarcastically questioned the Uchiha. “You threw and landed your sword right next to me! I thought it was a joke but seeing the way you suddenly appeared and stood on it, I realized you were comfortably turning yourself into a lightning rod. And out of nowhere, came a huge lightning in a shape of a dragon! You were trying to fry me along with Su-”

“Supreme technique! I agree!” Naruto covered the close call. Shikamaru nearly exposed them with the truth. “However, it was the only way to scare the monster without harming it. Sasuke fake out that technique. His intention was to fear the monster away and saved Shikamaru at the same time. It was a success. The monster er… ‘evacuated’ him.”

“Evacuated?” Tsunade arched an eyebrow.

“The monster pooped him out before melting itself into the Earth, never to appear again,” Sasuke finished it.

“Shikamaru, you’re lucky that Sasuke-kun was there to save your life. I believed he deserves a thank you and an apology directly from you.” Ino faced her nakama. She folded her arms with stern face, but Shikamaru just scoffed and rolled his eyes away. She exhaled before facing her crush and smiled, “Sasuke-kun, thank you for saving this slacker’s life and I do apologize on his behalf… well…”

Sasuke waved it off. He would like to get this night done and over with.

“By the way, what happened to your other teammate?” Tsunade asked.

He frowned. Apparently, the topic was still on his scheming. “I gave him the permission to leave for his homeland after the mission was done.”

“I still need to hear what he has to say.”

“He is one of my men not yours. Jūgo is not bound to Konoha and obviously, he doesn’t answer to you!” His riposte and rudeness were sudden. The air in the room was heavy with silence.

 “Sasuke, that’s not the way to talk to a Hokage!” Naruto chided.

“I’m tired, hungry and moody,” Sasuke ignored the blonde shinobi and pressed on, “I don’t have the luxury to enjoy reporting at this very hour. We haven’t even started talking about our search. I get that you’re pressing all these questions on me not just because I’m the leader. It’s also because you’re a Senju and I’m an Uchiha, right? You don’t trust my words, am I right again?”

He felt his nakama’s hand on his shoulder, but he shoved it away.

“Then let me emphasize my words to you so that you can understand,” His voice deepened. “I don’t give a damn about your trust, Senju. I’m only here because I want to find Haruno Sakura and bring her back. And whoever gets in my way, I’ll kill them.”

Sasuke glared to the Hokage, challenging her by any means. To his Sharingan eyes, she was weak. It didn’t matter if she has a superhuman strength or the ability to heal quickly. He could slash her with Susanoo or burn her with Amaterasu over and over until she dies.

“Fine, you can hand in your written report tomorrow.” Tsunade leaned back in her chair. Sasuke was about to leave. His hand was on the door handle when the Fifth called him again. “One more thing. Orochimaru requested your presence in his study. Now.”

His back facing her as he waited. “He can wait.”

“There’s an important matter he needs to discuss with you.”

“I still say he can wait-”

“You can’t find Sakura in your current state,” she cut him off. Finally, he turned to look at her. His eyes were no longer a threat. “I insist that you see him regarding your next training.”

There was a hidden meaning behind those clever words and Sasuke understood it immediately.

“You mean to say that I can’t defeat Madara in my current state,” he smiled and shook his head. “Very well then. I’ll see Orochimaru. Satisfied?”

“You may be young, Uchiha. A cocky brat too. You should understand by now that Madara is-”

He would not allow her to have the last word. “Madara is strong. He is undefeated. Such typical of you, Senju. It must be pleasant to your eyes in planning to witness an Uchiha killing another Uchiha.”

“Oi, Sasuke!” Naruto called.

But he already left.

When the Hokage didn’t say anything further, Shizune asked the rest to leave and let the Fifth have her privacy. Naruto, Shikamaru and Ino quietly left the room. They didn’t say anything to each other until Shikamaru told Ino to wait for him at the main hall. Once the hallway was clear, he pulled his friend to one side.

“Naruto, I think it’s best that we tell the truth to Hokage-sama,” he suggested.

“No, we mustn’t. Sasuke is the only person who is close enough to get Sakura-chan back.”

“I know that. I also know that he is angry, but I was surprised by his sudden temper. I can’t help but feeling that it has something to do when we were in Shinkirōgakure. What happened? You’ve kept on insisting that you can’t tell.”

“I made a promise to him. We’re on to something. It’s okay. You can trust him.”

“How can you ask me to trust him when he’s lying straight to our faces? And the way he’d spoken and addressed the Fifth? That wasn’t stress. That was like accusing an enemy,” he paused. “I know you can sense his anger with Kurama’s chakra. I’m going to repeat the same question. Do you think he’s going to betray Konoha?”

“There are dark secrets about this village that you’ve yet to learn, and it isn’t my place to tell, even if I wanted to… and never without his permission.” Naruto looked Shikamaru in the eyes and put up his Not-A-Problem face. “Sasuke can be many things but he won’t betray the village.”

“How can you tell?”

 _Because Sasuke won’t let Itachi’s Will of protecting the village dies so easily…_ Naruto believed. “Because I know he won’t.”

* * *

For hours, his snake-like eyes have been focusing on the little box. The dispel jutsu that he placed underneath the box didn’t work. The first trial was always out of luck. So were the second, the third and so on. He has lost the count in attempt to open it.

“If you think I’m going to give up, you’re mistakenly wrong, you irritating tiny thing. I’m more curious than ever,” he told the box.

“Why are you talking to a box?” Sasuke asked.

Orochimaru suddenly looked up and was astonished that his student stood in front of him without a sense of chakra or the sound of footsteps within his range. _Interesting… Usually I can sense…_ he thought.

“If you summon me for nonsensical, I will not be pleased.”

“It is not nonsense,” Orochimaru assured. He took a cloth and covered the box.

He caught the young Uchiha taking a quick glimpse on the box before taking his seat and going straight down to business. “Make haste about this training of yours. I’m not in a mood to talk.”

“Nine years of taking care of you and you still have no sense of etiquettes and manners when talking to an elder,” he pointed out. He was irritated by his student’s attitude.

“Nine years of chasing and trying to hijack my body. Why would I give a damn about mannerism or etiquettes to an elder?”

He shook his head. “Of all the Uchiha, you’re the rude one.”

“Let us get this done with. I’m tired.”

“You are to visit Ryūchidō tomorrow and upgrade your skills.” When Sasuke was about to rebuke, Orochimaru held out his hand to let him finish. “You are going to learn Senjutsu and master all the techniques in the ways of snakes. It is equivalent of your friend’s technique- Sage Mode. I have sent my words to Hakuja Sennin- the White Snake Sage- to take you in and train you. As an Uchiha and my strongest disciple, I’m expecting you to complete their trainings.”

“Why should I? I have Jūgo for that. I can absorb and fuse his natural chakra and use his abilities.”

“Uchiha, Sasuke… I never expect you to use someone else’s chakra so that you can gain the senjutsu level.” He leaned forward in his chair. His elbows rested on his desk. He locked his fingers together and took a deep breath. “I’d watched you fight Kabuto. At that time, he’d used Sage Mode. I can tell you that you could have died if it weren’t for Itachi. Even in death, that man still protects you.”

“…”

“Are you going to sacrifice your eyes every time you face someone who is stronger than you? Listen well, Sasuke-kun. Senjutsu can enhance one’s chakra abilities, skills and techniques. Meaning, if you fuse your chakra with the natural energy, you’re not only enhancing it but you will add new dimension of power to the next level that you’ve always wanted.”

“I’ve always wanted?”

“You think I don’t know? I heard that you’re trying to mold your chakra and combine your fire and lightning elements.”

“How did you know about that?”

“Does it matter if I know? With Senjutsu, I believe that you can achieve that level… or even higher.” Sasuke rolled his eyes. Orochimaru noticed his student’s disinterest. “Have it your way then. Get left behind from your friend if you want to.”

“What do you mean?!” The Uchiha's eyes sparked with challenge.

“You’d already witnessed during the war that Uzumaki Naruto able to wield the natural energy. He was the only one who went up against Obito using the Senjutsu when all Ninjutsu failed. Currently, if Madara uses the same ability, it seems your friend is the only one who can face him.”

“Fine, I’ll go!” he muttered. He stood up and was about to take his leave when-

“Wait, Sasuke-kun,” Orochimaru was not finished. “Remember when we returned to that cave to retrieve Kabuto? He learned Senjutsu, but his form is incomplete. In fact, he barely achieved it.”

“What’s your point?”

“If Obito took him, that means Madara has already gained another type of Senjutsu in his collection of jutsu. Sasuke-kun, your living great ancestor has a lot of trump cards in his hands. Through my eyes, I admit that he actually won the Fourth Shinobi War. He has the Sharingan, the Rinnegan, Hashirama cell and his senjutsu, Kabuto’s senjutsu, Obito as his right-wing man, seven tailed beasts sealed in a statue and your pink-headed girlfriend. He will not be afraid to use any of his cards against us… against you.”

“My girl- I mean, Sakura won’t be on his side.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because she has the Will to fight. Unlike me, she has a strong mind and capable to survive against those bastards. I know she won’t,” he replied.

Orochimaru nodded. “But hear me out. In time, Madara will definitely strike again. He will raise another war. He will collect the two remaining beasts and he will finally able to complete his plan. And when that time comes, you and Naruto have to combine your strength in terms of all the jutsu the both of you have learned against him.”

Sasuke studied his twisted sensei for awhile. He could tell that he was serious. _So… it all comes to a matter of time,_ he thought. This was one of the reasons why he wanted to find Sakura badly. She was the only key to counter that ancient… psycho. The more he thought about her, the more he agitated, hence, the more worried he gets. He mentally made a list on the things he has to do. He was about to say something when he noticed that Orochimaru was drawn to that box again.

“What’s in that thing anyway?” he asked.

“Oh this?” Orochimaru kept staring at it. He didn’t bother to remove the cloth. “I have no idea…”

Once Sasuke has left, Orochimaru removed the cloth and focused again on the box. He analyzed it again and managed to come up with two hypotheses. One: this box could not be opened by any force. Two: this box able to numb his ability to sense.

“I know that you don’t absorb chakra, you irritating tiny thing,” he said to the box again. “If you do, I could have felt my chakra taken away. What are you? Speak to me… You’re so quiet.”

The box, of course, didn’t respond to him. It’s a box!

Orochimaru looked at the clock. Realizing the long hours since he has been up, he decided to take a rest. He took one last glance at the box before switching off the lights and closed the door to his study. Even when his body screamed of tiredness, his hand refused to remove from the door handle. His mind kept reverting to the same item.

 _Is it nullification?_ He wondered _._ He thought for a second and let go of the handle.

“Impossible.”


	15. Chapter 15

After a quick breakfast, Naruto left his apartment and rushed down to Sasuke’s mansion. The moment he heard that his nakama was going to train in Ryūchidō, he cursed the world for such an unfortunate timing.

Today’s focus would be about Sakura. He needed answers and he needed it badly. He wasn’t planning on questioning Sasuke’s temper or the fact that he was being rude to the Hokage the previous night. Scolding him would bring more anger. Hence, the chances of knowing the truth would slip. He wouldn’t want to lose this opportunity. If Sasuke refuses to tell him today, he would have to force him to talk before leaving for training.

He reached outside the mansion just in the nick of time. He jumped over the wall, walked across the unfinished project garden, removed his shoes and stepped into the porch. As usual, he barged in as if the mansion belongs to him. He opened the slide door to the living room and found a set of unfinished meal.

“Sasuke!” he yelled. “Where are you?”

“In my room.”

The voice came from the second floor. Naruto looked up to the ceiling as he heard footsteps running back and forth. He rushed his way to the hallway and climbed up the stairs. He made a turn to the left and walked down the hallway to Sasuke’s room. He knew this place like the back of his mind. The door was opened and he peeked in before knocking.

“You’re still packing?” he asked while stepping into the room and leaned against the drawers. He watched Sasuke dumping and squeezing couple of clothes, gears and weapons into a bag.

“I was too tired to pack last night,” Sasuke heaved and scratched his head, “I collapsed on my bed and slept the moment I reached home.”

“How are you going to get there?”

“I’ll summon Aoda once I step outside of Konoha’s main gate. After that, he will reverse-summon me to Ryūchidō.”

He nodded. It was exactly like what Fukasaku did when the old toad took him to Mount Myōboku. And at the thought of that, he giggled. His friend took a break from packing and stared at him.

“What the hell is so funny?”

“I learned Senjutsu FIRST!” he happily gloated, “What are you going to say about that, huh?”

“So?”

“ _So?!”_ he stood still with his mouth hanging open. “So, I’m no longer what you’d described me as ‘Dead Last’.”

“Huh…” Sasuke pinched the bridge of his nose. “Why I am not surprised that it took this long for you to notice it yourself.”

“Hey, that’s not cool, ya know…” he mumbled to himself. “Wait! Does this mean that you will stop calling me ‘dobe’?”

“Well,” he shook his head and exhaled, “since you’re here, I bet you want to know it before I leave.”

Naruto stopped leaning on the drawers and took a step forward. All jokes aside. His blue eyes gazed on those dark mysterious ones, proving that he was dead serious and ready to learn the truth. He watched as his friend zipped up his bag, left it by the door and returned to his bed to take his Kusanagi sword. He slotted it on his hips while leaving the room.

“Follow me, dobe,” he said.

They have been walking around the village for ten minutes. Every time Naruto asked where they were going, Sasuke would tell him to keep his mouth shut and just follow. Finally, he stopped in front of a shrine.

“What is this place?” Naruto asked, amazed by the beautiful design.

“This is the Naka Shrine,” Sasuke replied. “The First had his coronation here when he was chosen to be the Hokage. This whole area was destroyed during Pain’s invasion. I had the place reconstructed in exact similar design. Let’s go.”

They walked into the main hall. Sasuke started to count the tatami mat from the far right. Once he counted the seventh, he removed the mat from the floor, exposing a concrete stone underneath it. The concrete stone has a Sharingan symbol in the middle and surrounded by seal formulas. He then activated his Sharingan and performed a hand seal technique to release a sequence of seals on the stone. After numerous trial, the stone lifted and opened itself.

“Another stair and a creepy tunnel. Is this trend?” Naruto asked but his friend paid no heed to the joke.

They walked down the steps to the Uchiha’s secret meeting place. There was no light but darkness to guide them down the spiral stairs. His friend has no issue since he has the Sharingan. Naruto, however, was blind as a bat and he clumsily kept tripping on the steps. Depending on his friend’s shoulder would look very weird and unmanly. So, he activated his Kyubi mode for assistance. Once they have reached the bottom, they moved closer to the stone monument. He watched as Sasuke started the fire up in a small pit, lighting up the whole room.

“This is the safest place to talk. Naruto,” he called, “I need to talk to Kurama. Clone yourself and make the switch so that the three of us can talk easily.”

He obliged and activated his unique jutsu to make a clone. He maintained the original body as himself whereas the clone made the switch and Kurama took over.

“You must be serious to bring us down here for a chat,” the tailed-beast commented.

“First things first,” his friend pointed to the stone. “Kurama, have you seen this before?”

The tailed beast that was now in a form of Naruto moved closer with the intention to study it. “Ah, I’ve seen this tablet before. I was slightly confused as to why the old man had busied himself on scribbling down the stone. When I tried to peek on his finishing work, it was all blank. That was how it looked like originally- a blank tablet. I’d asked him about it. He said that I needed some ‘special eyes’ to read it.”

“This ancient stone tablet has been passed down through the Uchiha clan for many generation,” Sasuke explained. “You need to have powerful Dōjutsu to read this. You can read the basic with a normal Sharingan. The higher the ocular power is, the better you can decipher the stone’s secrets. The highest of all is Rinnegan. Nevertheless, I’m not far behind from my ancestor since I have Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.

“My brother told me of this place when I was thirteen. Using only my Sharingan, I was able to learn the first of its secrets. To obtain Mangekyō Sharingan, one must _feel_ the emotion of losing a friend or family. The easiest and fastest way to obtain that is by killing your closest friend. And ultimately, you will also obtain the power to control the tailed beasts. Using Mangekyō too much will deteriorate the eyes and eventually will blind the user. My brother was partially blind when I fought him at the Uchiha Hideout. I felt its effect most when I fought Kakashi and almost had Sakura killed. So, to prevent it from deteriorating, I asked Obito to replace my eyes with my brother’s, hence, the awakening of the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.”

His friend gazed at the stone with his straight tomoe Sharingan. “With Eternal Mangekyō, I finally understood how Madara was able to achieve such power like the Rinnegan. ‘ _Looking for stability, One God was divided into Yin and Yang. The action of the two opposing forces created all things in nature_ ’. According to our research data, those Zetsu are of Hashirama’s cell. A long time ago, Madara fought Hashirama in a final fight. Many thought that he fought for the position of the Hokage. Orochimaru believed it otherwise. He believed that Madara fought Hashirama to obtain the power of the Senju. Combining the DNA with the Uchiha’s, Madara able to obtain Rinnegan. And five years ago, Kabuto succeeded in proving the hypothesis by implanting and upgrading Madara’s body with Hashirama’s cell. Obito must have it in him too. That’s how they able to use the highest and the most powerful Dōjutsu.”

“Ano…” Naruto interrupted and scratched his head, “that’s an interesting history, but what does this have to do with Sakura-chan?”

Both Sasuke and Kurama sighed in unison.

“Naruto-yo, it seems you’re not able to see the big picture here.” Kurama turned his attention to Sasuke. “Go on, kid. Ignore the idiot.”

“We know that Madara needs you and the Hachibi to complete the Eye of the Moon Plan, and that he wants to put us all under a great Genjutsu so that he can play God and control everything. I tried to figure that ancient psychopath out myself. Madara isn’t the type to waste time. And I started to wonder, if I were him, I would have already sealed you and the Hachibi away with the remaining beasts in that huge statue. Instead, I’m clueless as to why he didn’t bother to come after the both of you for this last five years.”

“It seems like he’s waiting, stalling for time. For what purpose?” Naruto folded his arms as he put his mind into deep thoughts. Exactly why didn’t that bastard come for the remaining beasts? Why did all the bad things stop once Sakura was taken? “Madara nearly sealed Kurama and Gyūki in that huge sealing thing. No matter how hard the four of us pulled it, we couldn’t escape his jutsu. Coming after Uncle Bee and I will be too easy for him. That was the reason why he didn’t bother with us at all. Hence, that’s left us with a question of whom he delays for.”

He fixed his eyes upon the one who held the answers.

“I was watching her from a distance,” Sasuke nodded in agreement. “She and a group of Shinobi tried to sneak an attack on Madara from behind while he busied himself with the extraction of the two remaining tailed beasts. Unfortunately, he sensed them, and the group made a fatal error. He countered and killed all of them, leaving Sakura the only one to freeze in mid-battle.”

“Freeze? Sakura-chan is not afraid to face any enemy. That can only mean one thing. She must have been under the influence of genjutsu,” Naruto realized.

“My thoughts exactly. She was so closed to death when suddenly- to my surprise- she broke it… by herself.”

“By herself?” he echoed. His eyebrows furrowed. The curiosity in him grew on Sakura’s capability. Even he had difficult time in breaking Itachi’s genjutsu.

“I know Sakura is originally a genjutsu type. Even so, it’s never easy to break the jutsu by yourself under five seconds’ top; especially when it’s under Madara’s. And I think because of that, Sakura caught his interest. I saw they had a quick conversation before you jumped in. After you struggled and Madara pushed you away, I made my move.”

“What were they talking about?”

“They were too far away. I was running towards them. Hence, I couldn’t focus on reading their lips. That wasn’t all.” He took his mind on the ancient stone off and focused directly on his friend, waiting for more details. “Sakura stopped me from attacking Madara.”

“What?!” Both Naruto and Kurama exclaimed in unison.

“I’m not certain on what she meant when she’d mentioned ‘it’. I thought that she’d lost her mind from the genjutsu but her eyes were dead serious. Then she told me that she was going to find a way to stop them… alone, and that she could only trust me to be her contact.”

“Do you know her reason for leaving?!”

“She didn’t say.”

Naruto started pacing the floor. He ran his hands through his blonde hair. His expression was distraught. He still couldn’t understand her reason for leaving him or the village. His heart ached even more from the dreadful truth.

“THE HELL, SASUKE! YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME THE MOMENT SHE WAS GONE!” he shouted in rage. The echoes bounced off the walls. “YOU COULD HAVE THE CHANCE TO TAKE HER AWAY FROM HIM! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING HIDING THIS SHIT FROM ME ALL THESE YEARS?!”

“AT FIRST, I DISAGREED WITH WHAT SHE PROPOSED TOO! WHAT BETTER CHOICE DID WE HAVE BUT TO FIGHT A LOSING BATTLE?! FACE IT, NARUTO! WE ARE THE ONES WHO LOST THE FOURTH SHINOBI WAR!” Sasuke took a deep breath and let himself cool down; his fingers impatiently drumming on his hips. “No one could stop Madara. He was too powerful and he still is. Sakura and I saw an opportunity- a window- to find a way to defeat him. If there’s a weakness, even if the chance is small, we will grasp it and use it against him.”

“So, she is to be a spy for us? For the village? FOR THE SHINOBI ALLIANCE?!”

“YES! SHE KNOWS WHAT TO DO, AND I TRUST HER FOR THAT!” His friend paused for another breath. “I trust that she will succeed, and I trust that she is the key to counter our enemies. I thought you’ve already understood her by now.”

“Don’t you dare say as if I don’t trust in her will to fight! I do believe in her! But Sakura-” He choked. The collar of his jacket was starting to strangle him tight. He unzipped his jacket and let the collar loose. “Sakura-chan is special not just to me but to you as well. There’s a chance Madara could have tortured her. There’s a chance that she could be suffering while the rest of us live in a normal life. Have you ever thought about her safety? Her virtues?!”

“Are you blaming me then?”

“Partially yes,” he sighed. His blue eyes bore to those dark gloomy ones. He ran his hands through his hair again. “What kind of a man are you to just simply let her go?”

“The kind that respects her decisions whether if it’s right or wrong,” he spat. “It was her choice, Naruto. The last thing she asked of me, before she left with them, was to ensure that I would take care of you. It’s no wonder she’d asked me for a favor, knowing that you would go berserk if you had been in my place.”

The two strongest shinobi glared at each other. No words were exchanged. The secret room was clouded with too much tension that the only sound that was produced was the sound of burning woods and their raging breath.

Naruto wanted to punch his backstabbing nakama so much for putting such a huge responsibility and risk on Sakura. He tightened his fists and yet, he wouldn’t budge to make a punch because he didn’t want to cross that line. They were supposed to work together to defeat Madara and retrieve Sakura as a team. And as much as he wanted to land one blow on Sasuke’s face, today’s focus was indeed about her.

“I don’t have much time left to listen to your bickering lecture about her safety. I need to explain the plans I have for the both of you,” Sasuke moved on. “Remember when I said that I left Ino in-charged of screening the anbu spies?”

“Yeah,” Kurama remembered, “you said that only the user who casted the seal could break it.”

“And that if any Sharingan user tries to unseal it, it will burn the victim’s eyes. Fortunately, I’m one of the users who can cast and dispel the seal of Amaterasu. After I broke a seal on one of the anbu spies, I found another underneath it. The seal was symbolic. I’ve never seen it before. When I got close and try to study it, the spy threw a fit and his whole body suddenly combust in black flames.”

“That’s the reason why we went to Shinkirōgakure?” Naruto asked. “To find the symbol and understand its meaning?”

“Ah… I’d checked our library, including the Forbidden Section. There’s no information regarding the symbolic rune. Which brings the reason why I’d ordered my team to make a long-term research on villages with rich histories across the five countries. We made a list and Shinkirōgakure was one of them.

“The reason I’d used Suigetsu as a diversion because I didn’t want to risk Sakura. Having people know about her will risk her safety and location. Had they known what I did, words would have spread, Madara would have moved and we would lose the chance of retrieving her. The question of the symbolic seal must be answered. It’s vital and it’s our only chance to get her back.” Sasuke sat across the ancient stone. Kurama and Naruto joined him in a circle not long after. “There’s good and bad news. Which do you prefer?”

“The bad news first,” Kurama decided.

Sasuke nodded and drew a picture of the seal on the far corner of the paper. Naruto noticed that some of the shaded circles conjoined with the curved or straight lines whereas others were within an incomplete circle.

“This is the symbolic seal that was placed on the anbu spies,” his friend explained as he pointed to it. “The bad news is that none of the symbols we found in the cave were identical to this one.”

“What’s the good news?” he curiously asked.

“More unanswered symbols.”

“How is _that_ good news?!” Naruto palmed his face and massaged his forehead and temples. He wasn’t smart enough to decipher these symbols. That was why he had desperately asked for Kurama’s help. And from his friend’s expression, it seemed he too didn’t manage to get any answers. The symbols really started to get not only on his nerves but Kurama’s and Sasuke’s as well.

“Look,” Sasuke drew the other symbols on the other corner of the paper. “The symbols from the cave are different from the ones we were searching for. However, comparing the first and the last symbol with our mysterious seal, you can tell it’s almost identical in pattern.”

He pointed to the shaded circles and lines from the two drawings. “These symbols in the cave proved that there was a time when people had used symbols in writing instead of letters to form words. Meaning-”

“It’s an ancient symbolic text,” Kurama spoke out loud and bit his lips. “It’s no wonder I’ve no clue what it says. This can be none other than the dead language of the old world.” The eyes of the two finest shinobi were suddenly drawn to Kurama’s. “Hey, don’t look at me as if I know all the answers. I was born in the shinobi world too. The old man didn’t teach us this language.”

“Okay, all we have to do is to find more old books or scrolls until we find the exact design to the symbolic seal,” Naruto suggested.

“To what ends?” Sasuke countered. “We’ve been cracking our brains to decipher these symbols, and not once have we managed to understand what it means. Besides, I believe no scholars or shinobi able to interpret it. It’s a dead language. Kurama is the closest to the Sage of the Six Path, and not even he can decipher it.” The three of them sighed in unison. “The symbols were completely foreign to us all, except for one that has caught my eyes.”

Naruto and Kurama watched very closely as Sasuke drew a symbol on the paper, sketching two circles in different sizes- a shaded circle within the un-shaded.

“This symbol almost looks identical to the first symbol in the cave, without the tail or the small gap,” he pointed, comparing the first symbol with his latest one. “And look, all three of them have shaded circles. Does it remind you of anything?”

“This third drawing,” Naruto furrowed his eyebrows and bit his fingernails, “Where have I seen this before?”

“That is the seal on Hashirama’s forehead when he turned into Sage Mode. And it’s the symbol on my shoulders too.” Kurama grabbed and pointed to his right sleeve. “It’s on your shoulders and tummy when you activated the Bijū Mode.”

“It’s everywhere. I saw it too when Orochimaru performed the Edo Tensei to summon the four Hokages, right here, in this very spot. Naruto,” Sasuke whispered, “we’ve seen it on _her_ too.”

“Sakura-chan…” his voice wavered, feeling the guilt of not holding onto her tight enough. His fingers curled into tight fists, wrinkling his jacket with it. And then, he realized, “Dear God… Madara’s plan… his reason for his delays must have something to do with her! Did he intend to use her too?!”

“Do you see it now, Naruto? The reason why I’ve brought you here and explained to you about the stone? Madara has an idea from this monument. It’s the inception of his beliefs that _power_ is an absolute to him. He’s planned this many years ago. Every time the Uchiha’s eyes change, the user will gain higher powers- from Sharingan to Mangekyō to Eternal Mangekyō and finally, Rinnegan. And if I were him, I wouldn’t stop there. I would go for a higher power- maybe something that is greater than the Rinnegan itself. Maybe this is his plan all along… Or maybe it isn’t. And we’ve no idea what he’s planning to use Sakura for. Either way, I believed that she’s already part of it. These are just my hypotheses. I cannot confirm it until I have her by my side.”

 _By our side,_ Naruto mentally corrected his friend. While drumming his fingers, he decided, “We really need to find her before shit happens. What do you want us to do?”

“Find out the meaning of Sakura’s clan symbol first. You can use the scrolls that we have. That should be your main focus. Decipher the symbolic seal later. Don’t stress yourself out on it and don’t show it to anyone else because the next thing I want you to do is to investigate her parents.”

“Eh?!” he was taken aback by his friend’s decision. “Y-You want me to investigate Sakura’s parents?”

“Yes. The both of you must. Just don’t make it too obvious and frighten them away. As for me, I will research the symbols too and get any resource from Ryūchidō. I have to depend on you both to bid my task while I’m not around.”

Naruto left the shrine with a new determination. There was a moment that he couldn’t handle the truth but Kurama was around to keep his mind focused. Both Sasuke’s confession and Sakura’s foolishness have completely thrown him into a world of issues. Five years of lies and deception; five years of not knowing the truth- Sakura left the village, and him, to find a way to defeat the enemy. Aside from her love confession, this has to be the most ridiculous, stupidest, and craziest plan. He wanted to choke the girl of his dream. He also wanted to climb the Hokage Mountain and scream his frustration out because she trusted Sasuke more than him.

* * *

Aoda was already waiting outside the main gate as they walked towards the giant snake. Naruto insisted of doing the honors in sending his friend off and wishing him the best of luck, just like Sakura did before he had gone to Mount Myōboku.

“…I sent my team out in search for the remaining villages across the five countries. The three of them will report to you if they find anything. Only you can stay in my mansion; no parties and no sleepovers. My indoor hot spring is forbidden to anyone, including you,” Sasuke warned.

He answered every warning with a nod, completely oblivious to the details his friend provided him.  His mind was too preoccupied with the pink-headed kunoichi that he didn’t realize he had walked right into the whole gang of _Konoha 11_.

The gang didn’t talk to Sasuke much, but rather bid him farewells and lucks, except for Ino who was cheering and daring herself to hug him. Such behavior has caused Shikamaru to cast evil eyes upon the Uchiha; eyes bulging wider when he observed Sasuke’s arms wrapped around Ino’s exposed waist.

“Naruto,” his friend jumped and stood on Aoda’s head, focusing on the Hokage as he spoke, “call me if there’s trouble.”

Simple short words were enough to forgive the Uchiha for how he had confronted the Hokage. Naruto heard Shikamaru cursed upon the _special_ treatment his friend was given.

“He must be praying to the Seven Lucky Gods,” Naruto fidgeted as he waited, terribly annoyed with his friend who was using his good looks to seek for an easy apology. “I need to visit the shrine more often and start praying.”

**_That young Uchiha… I never knew he held such power over women..._ **

To that, he grumbled away while watching his friend taking a final glance to the village before ordering the shake to reverse-summon.

The walk to Sasuke’s mansion was long and winding road. Despite his ability to teleport, he very much preferred to take a walk as it allowed him to reflect and think about anything. And currently, he was thinking about Sakura’s clan symbol with its possibility link to other symbols; the fact that he had been oblivious about it. If he counted the coincidence symbols, it could lead up to hundreds.

He paused his pace in front of the Naka Shrine, tilting his head to the side as he thought about the Uchiha’s stone monument. He knew there was something odd about it but he couldn’t put a finger on what it was. And as much as he wanted to investigate it, the mystery of the ancient stone wasn’t his priority. Besides, he needed the Sharingan to read the invisible words.

**_Oh shit! The tablet!_ **

 “What about it?” Naruto urged the tailed-beast to speak his mind. He seemed oddly panic.

**_The tablet was originally blank! Those visible words weren’t there before!_ **

 “There’s a possibility that the Rikudō Sennin might have wrote it afterwards?”

**_No, he didn’t. The handwriting neither belonged to the old man nor his sons._ **

“If the Rikudō Sennin didn’t write the visible part, then who did?”

**_A person’s handwriting is as unique as their personalities, to which I’m certain that those beautiful penmanship can be none other than ‘her’._ **

“Whoever do you mean?”

**_It’s the old man’s wife…_ **


	16. Chapter 16

“For the sake of the village and its people… For peace…” he quoted.

The fire in the village was spreading wider, engulfing those of the innocent victims. The hot negative chakra in the wind was brushing her skin. The villagers were screaming and wailing for their love ones, either for the dead or those who were alive.

In this very night, evil has prevailed on Earth in a form of a beast. Its desire was abomination of the world, and only one man has the determination to stop it.

“Face me,” she called to the blonde man who stood in front of her, only to turn his head slightly.

“In time, they will know peace,” he promised.

Her eyes bored onto those familiar wide shoulders that was carrying so many burdens. And she felt a desire to have an argument with him- right here, right now- in the presence of evil. “You really believed that you are the savior of this world?” Her tone wasn’t an accusation or anger; only a monotone with gentle curiosity to question his beliefs.

“Have faith in me. You will not be able to see it now, but you will see…”

She looked over his shoulder and set her sight down on the burning village. A mix feeling of pity and elation whirled in her heart for those poor victims and the blonde man. “Is this the peace you have claimed so dearly? How naïve... for I only see hatred.”

“Then you have failed to see what I seek.”

She glared at him. His words were ever so wisdom and yet, it was poisoned to her beliefs. Such selfishness from the person who seek peace in the future of man, and yet he refused to acknowledge the current mistake.

“Mankind does not know peace no matter how many knowledges you have given them. You know they will make it worse,” she warned. From where she stood, she noticed he was grinning.

“They will learn. Believe it,” he said in full confidence.

He spoke of those same old words: For the sake of the village, its people and for peace. And regardless of the differences in their beliefs, she was truly worried about him. For he was just a man- like any other man- but born with a gift inside of him. And just like that, he was gone in a flash, facing one great evil with strong will, guts and determination to save mankind.

* * *

Sakura shot her eyes open and scrambled to sit up. She has accidentally knocked over some books and scrolls. Sweat has gathered on her brows and she quickly wiped it away with her kimono sleeve. She slowed her breathing to a normal pace and constantly reminded herself that it was just a nightmare.

The nightmare felt awfully real. Usually, the dream showed nothing of importance; just those same old words. Tonight, however, felt as though she has lost an argument. The burning rage in her grew, making her crave to punch something or someone.

 _The psychopaths,_ she tempted. She took a deep breath and shut the book in front of her. It must be due to the stress from revising on a subject called Rebirth. She has been focusing on the same topic for days now, and barely able to grasp the idea for her new jutsu.

Too many tasks were on her mind, but she kept reeling back to Sasuke and Naruto. They were supposed to be the constant reminder and a sort of inspiration for her to form a new jutsu. Despite Madara’s threats, she couldn’t stop wondering how the boys must have grown. She rested her cheek on her palm and allowed herself to imagine them as ‘the men’ amongst men.

The last time she saw Sasuke was on the battlefield during the fourth war, fighting alongside with the Shinobi Alliance. She must admit; her feelings were conflicted when those lips of his had spoken nothing but her name. It was rather odd of him to claim the next Hokage’s position and protect the village when he had made an oath that he wanted to destroy it. Maybe his hatred has resolved, but knowing Sasuke well, he preferred to keep things to himself.

After the things that had happened to his brother and what the village had done to his clan, Sasuke has the rights to change Konoha. He has the rights to destroy it or to protect it. And she came to believe that his reason to protect Konoha was due to Itachi’s Will. She was drawn to the mysterious side of Sasuke so much that she sensed he was torn between being a good person and blinded by hatred; hence, missing out the opportunities to which life could offer him.

The village should view him as a hero and the coolest shinobi that ever was. He must have lost those boyish good looks and turned into a gorgeous hunk. Women must have stalked him, and he must have dated many. He probably has chosen someone as his wife to carry the bloodline of Uchiha. And now, he probably cooing his little babies.

Sakura pouted her lips as she suddenly felt an utter pang of jealousy. Depression came after that. On that occasion, she was left to wonder how Naruto was doing. She smiled to herself as she imagined what kind of a man he has become. Her thoughts on his growth was incredibly somewhat different from Sasuke’s. There was a time when the blonde shinobi had gotten on everyone’s nerves and she had always treated him bad because he irritated her so much. Everyone knew him as this foolish, childish, annoying prankster and a pervert little brat. But then Sasuke had said something that changed her thoughts about Naruto. From that day, she decided to treat him a little better. Even since that ‘Promise-Of-A-Lifetime’, he has become a respectable teammate, a very close friend and one of the strongest shinobi she has ever known. She found him to be very charismatic and magnetic. After Pain’s invasion, people didn’t see him as a monster or a burden, but a hero. And through her eyes, she witnessed his strange ability to change a person’s heart and opinions.

“It’s always the same thing… I can only do the dumbest things for you…” she said to herself.

She folded her arms on the desk, laid her head down delicately and watched the soft glow of the flickering candlelight. Naruto must be angry and disappointed with her for choosing the enemies over the Alliance Shinobi. She knew him too well to deny it. Indeed, what she did was stupid and unforgivable. She didn’t care about his or anyone else’s opinion because she believed that it was the right thing to do for the world. And so, she pictured him being furious at her, moves on with his life, become the Hokage that he has always dream of and marry to a woman who truly deserved him- Hyuga Hinata. Like Sasuke, he too will have kids and start to have a family of his own.

“Home, love and family are what they truly deserved for everything they had suffered throughout their lives,” she heavily sighed. “I’m sorry, Yondaime Hokage. This is the best I can do to protect your son.”

Had Naruto learned the truth from Sasuke, he would turn berserk, and only the Gods know what would happen to them. Of all the things in the world, she wanted to protect her ex-teammates. They might not want to admit it but she knew that they needed each other more than they needed her, and she would fight to protect their precious bond.

The room was giving her an awful gloom and pressure. Sakura desperately needed for some fresh air. Thinking about the past would only distract her future plans, and being stuck in a room for days would only suffocate her even more. She got up from her seat and walked over to the ironstone wash bowl and pitcher that her maid has prepared earlier. After splashing her tired face with lukewarm water and dried it with a clean towel, she returned to her desk and retrieved a candle. She then walked through the connection door that led to her bedchamber. Madara has chosen and designed this room specifically to bring out the artistic vibe in her. It wouldn’t be a bad taste if it wasn’t for the gothic feeling on every furniture and wall.

Ayumi had mentioned once that the tapestries on the walls in this room still maintained its originality, and that Madara didn’t do the slightest thing to change it. She also had mentioned the secret behind these walls- a passage that led to a secret garden.

Sakura approached a familiar wall. The first time she got into this room, she was drawn to a unique tapestry. It was a painting of a beautiful woman dressed in ornate and colorful kimono. The woman wore an exquisite jewelry on her head with flowing celestial-feathery robe that wrapped loosely around her body, and her hands carrying lotus blossoms. Ayumi claimed that she has a good eye for choosing it wisely because behind the selected tapestry was, in fact, a trapped door.

She took a final glance at the picture before running the tapestry over with her gentle hand. There was a small button on the lotus and she pushed it with her fingers. The door creakily opened to the stairs leading down to the secret passage. She took a step inside and pulled a small wardrobe to cover the hidden door so that no one would notice it from the other side. And since the door could only opened from the outside, she didn’t fully close it. To prevent from getting trap inside, she used her thick bangle and snugged underneath the gap of the door. Once it was secured, she walked down the stairs with only candlelight to guide her from the darkness.

Only four more turns and a hundred steps left to go, and she would be free from this gothic dungeon. She has already planned her escape route thanks to Ayumi’s help and devotion. In the first few months, she had a little adventure of her own on exploring the secret passage. She had counted, memorized the steps and learned every turn that was going to take her outside. Even though the sight of the garden has tempted her to make for a quick escape, it wasn’t the reason she was here.

She was about to make the next turn when suddenly- she heard noises from within the walls. She slowly approached to its direction. The wall was rather thin on this side. She guessed there must be another hidden door that was well concealed. Her free hand searched for anything that could indicate a knob. Sadly, there was none. There was, however, a hole on the lower side that seemed to fit for a hand. She brought the light closer and shockingly found a swarm of insects nesting inside it. And of all the type of insects, she saw one that she despised the most- cockroaches.

“Crap! Of all the creatures in the world!” she cursed. She bit her fingernails and took another glance into the hole. The longer she looked at it, the more she felt the creepiness spreading through her nerves. She was thinking of ignoring it and proceed towards the exit but she was too damn curious about that noise. She cursed herself for being stupid. The fate of the shinobi world lies in her hands and here she was, not helping at all just because she was afraid of little insects.

Like her teacher who hated to lose, Sakura gathered up her courage, folded up her sleeve, and reached deep into the hole. Insects started to crawl onto her skin and up to her shoulder. She could feel their tiny legs crawling on her body. Despite the temptation to scream and drop the candle, she refused to give up. She kept digging and searching until she felt a ledge on her fingertips. She put her whole arm deeper and with her strength, she pulled the ledge towards her. The hidden door to her left automatically opened, and she hastily removed her arm, brushing the insects off from her.

Sakura needed a moment to readjust her kimono and herself. After assuring that her body was free of insects, she angrily crushed them with the bottom of her shoes and explored the newly found passage. She could tell that she was in the sewer just from the disgusting smell. The noise was getting closer and she could see dim light piercing through a drain hole. She blew out the candle before peeking through the hole and carefully listening to the conversation; someone was talking in low voice.

“Creature,” that voice could only belong to Madara’s. “How long does it take till it’s done?”

“You’re… asking… the impossible…” said the creature. Its voice was croaky and wheezy.

“Such words coming from you? Now that, I believe it’s impossible.”

Nothing was said after that. Sakura moved closer to the iron bars to try to identify _this_ creature but to no avail. It was covered in robe.

“I… beg you… give me… time…” the creature pleaded.

“Of course, I will.”

“Thank… you…”

“It’s too early to thank me,” Madara warned. He took a glimpse around the dungeon. Sakura immediate hid in the shadows and held her breath. Suddenly- the creature grabbed Madara’s right arm. The great Uchiha’s focus was directed back to the creature. He didn’t try to wriggle his arm free.

“That woman… healed you…” It said. “She… managed to… get your… arm back. Maybe… she can… get my… body-”

Without mercy, Madara choked the creature with his left hand. The creature immediately screamed in agony. Both of its hands were punching, beating and scratching in desperate to release his strong grip from its neck. Only after a certain amount of time, he finally loosened the grip, still wouldn’t let the creature go. The poor creature was struggling as its breath covered in wheezes. “She cannot see it… yet,” the ancient psychopath claimed. “It was such a disappointment. But, oh well…” And his grip tightened again. The creature screamed louder than before.

“HAVE… MERCY! IT’S… HER… FAULT! WHY… AM I… BEING… PUNISHED?!” The creature spoke in struggled words, and Sakura covered her mouth to silent her cry. She felt pity for whoever the creature was. Eventually, Madara let the creature go. It dropped to the ground and was panting heavily. It then put up its shaking hand to defend itself and weakly whispered, “No… more… No… more…”

“Come creature,” he ordered. He climbed up the stairs and made a sudden paused. “Before we proceed,” he turned to face the creature again, “allow me to make things clear for you. One: you are to address her properly. Fail to do so, and I shall rip your tongue out with my own hands and burn it.”

“Yes… Madara-sama…” The creature obliged.

“And two,” his voice was now dangerously low, “NEVER. LAY. YOUR. FILTHY. HANDS. ON. MY. PRECIOUS.”

The creature shrank in fear as he glared at it with his unique eyes. Its thin legs wobbled as it tried to stand up and stayed close to its master. Once the creature was stable enough, they continued to climb up the stairs and disappeared behind the iron door.

This was her only chance. Without wasting any moment, Sakura grabbed two of the iron bars and pulled it with all her might. With the superhuman strength, she able to remove the drain grates and put it aside. She slid and slithered her body through the hole. It wasn’t an ordinary dungeon. The place was a complete laboratory. Most of the equipment here were commonly found in any hospital and research lab. As much as she wanted to study its purposes, it wasn’t the right time to question the enemy’s motives. Right now, she needed to find hard evidence on Madara’s next move against the five countries.

She ran through notes and scrolls that were found scatter on the desk. Most of these documents contained details she already knew- the Reiki techniques, the secret of the seven chakra flow, advances regenerative medicine and regenerative human stem cells. She tried to take a mental note of detailed information until her eyes were drawn to the statue in front of her.

It was Gedō Mazō- the humongous statue that terrorized the Shinobi Alliance during the fourth war. Sakura gawked in amaze as she took the whole full sight of it. The statue was sitting on lotus blossom with its hands clasped together and its head bowed down. Signs of seven opened eyes could only mean seven tailed beasts were sealed in it. She was about to return to the desk when she sensed something of peculiar. Its stem was filled with human faces. She moved to a nearby bridge to have a better look.

“No way,” she gasped, immediately knowing what it was. The face slightly moved when she touched it. “These are Hashirama’s stem cells. It’s alive?”

The place where she stood right now was about ten levels high, and she predicted more of these ‘cells’ were produced, especially on its roots. She moved around the circular bridge and observed if there was any difference in each of the cell. Unexpectedly, she found an unrecognized shinobi stuck on the back of the stem. The head protector on the shinobi seemed very familiar.

“Konoha’s,” she whispered and studied the shinobi’s features. He was left with nothing but pale skin and bones. The shinobi moaned in pain the moment she touched his face. The unthinkable happened when he slightly opened his drowsy eyes.

“Saa… kuu… raaa…” he moaned.

“Yamato Taichou!” her voice strained, finally recognized who it was. “Oh, dear God! Have you been here since the war?!”

He was weak. She wanted to pull him out, but from the look of the stem cells, it seemed that Yamato’s life was attached to this big plant. And telling from the dehydration, the plant was still absorbing his chakra. Removing him directly would only kill him faster.

“Just… kill… meeeeeee… Sa… ku… ra…”

She absolutely refused. Instead, she used her mystic palm technique and healed him, even though it was small effort and pretty much has no effect on him. “Listen to me, Yamato Taichou. I’m going to get you out, you hear me?! I’m not going to leave without you,” she promised.

Tears started to flow down her cheeks. All this time, while living in this gothic castle like a doting princess, Yamato was being tortured every day and night. Her cluelessness and oblivious gave her so much regret. What Madara and Obito did was beyond and unforgivable. It was practically inhuman and she knew she needed to stop those two psychopaths from hurting Yamato. She figured, the fastest way to get out of this place was teleportation, which could only mean using Obito’s eye technique. Indeed, with his Sharingan eye, they could teleport anywhere around the world. The only problem was that he wasn’t into helping her cause.

“Unless…” she wondered. “Yamato Taichou, I need you to be strong. I need time to figure how to get you out. So please stay alive. I promise I’ll come back and take you home to Konoha.”

“Ko… no… haaa… Saku… ra…”

“Yes… Konoha is home.” _Yours but no longer mine..._ her mind lingered.

She touched his face and left the bridge- leaving him- without a second glance because if she did, it would only make her cry even more. She went back to the same drain hole and put the grates back to how it originally was.

Back in the passage, two paths lay before her. One led to the garden and the other led back to her room. And she chose to go back to her room instead. No more games. No more slacking. She needed to list out her priority. One, remove Yamato from that fucking plant. Two, return him to Konoha. And three, avoid the Shinobi Alliance, Sasuke and Naruto. Especially Naruto, because crossing path with him wasn’t part of her plan. Because she wasn’t ready to face him yet. And also, because she knew that he was going to be angry with her, regardless of the truth.

* * *

_That Kakashi is trying to break into my dimension wall… again._

Obito could feel his former friend trying to break through the walls.

_You may still have the eye… but it is still my eye and this dimension is my world…_

It was the only way he could counter his other eye. Every time Kakashi entered the space-time dimension, he would always dump his former friend into this solitude dome. He created it for the sole of this purpose- kicking the trash out of his business. Layers upon layers, he has casted special seal on these thick walls. And whenever that former friend his tried to scratch or damage the wall, a particular _genjutsu_ of his design would activate.

Obito felt the anger coursing through his body. The hatred he has for Kakashi and the lost of Rin would not subdue. There were couple of moments where he wanted to absorb himself to the other dimension and kill the bastard, but he knew that death only offered more peace than his former friend truly deserved. Therefore, it was better to let the bastard live.

 _Yes... You will live and suffer with your own guilt..._ He decided to have a little fun. He put his self-illusion in the dome and devilishly smiled upon seeing his former friend who was currently panting in exhaustion.

“Hello, Trash.”

“Obito...” Kakashi panted. “Where’s the real you?”

“In a place you claimed the real world. Where else?”

“Enough! Come back to Konoha! _Her_ soul won’t be in peace if she were to see you ended up like this!”

“If you so much as to trying to lure me back to the good side by using her name, please don’t bother. The ‘Uzumaki’ method doesn’t work on me,” he giggled. “Tell me, how does it feel like having to stab Rin’s heart over and over with your lightning jutsu? Does the illusion remind you of your broken promise?”

“I deserve it. Her death was my fault.” He wiped his tears away. “But you should know that it was yours as well! You should have returned home! Rin was… Rin-”

“Don’t speak of that precious name so casually, Trash. I will never forgive you. And I will never forgive Minato-sensei either.”

“If you hate me so much,” he watched as his former friend curled his fingers into a tight ball, “why don’t you just kill me?! Condemn me of my sins so that you can have peace in your hatred heart!”

“Peace? There is no such when Rin is still dead,” he scoffed and cocked his head to the side. “Besides, killing you would be an easy way out. No, Kakashi. I’m not going to kill you. It’s better to let you live so that each morning when you wake up, your wretched existence will be constantly reminded of my hatred for you. It will be the only reason of why you’re still alive. Now go away, Trash, and live the rest of your fucking life knowing that you are nothing to me.”

And just like that, Obito dispelled his own illusion and snapped back to reality.

“You spaced out.” Small hands were waving in front of his face. It was Mariko. The little purple-headed kunoichi pulled an eerie smile. He ignored her and glared at the two Hagoromo who were happily feeding on a group of shinobi in broad daylight. He approached them and noticed the victims’ head protectors.

“These men are the Shinobi Alliance of different villages,” he explained. He didn’t know why he had bothered to.

“So, it’s true that they’ve combined their strength. Interesting,” Tatsuo said. The Lord of Hagoromo approached to one of the senior shinobi and told him to stand up. The shinobi resisted at first, but eventually obeyed. “Your name, child. And which village are you from?”

“Why do you bother with such questions, father?” Ryūjin interrupted. “They’re nothing but mere food to us. I’ve clenched my thirst for this perfect moment to have a taste of their chakra upon my tongue! My body craved for more!”

“Control your hunger, son,” he pointed out. “You know I have this habit to know them before I make my kill.”

 “You can’t even control yours,” his son scoffed.

The men with the oldest bloodline laughed to their hearts content, while Obito watched them in scrutiny. The father and son were both somehow alike. When Mariko stood right next to him, he immediately blocked her view from the sight of pooling blood that was surrounding the Hagoromo.

“How absurd. You’re letting a child to witness your kill,” he snide.

Ryūjin stride towards him and pulled Mariko away. “A child to your eyes, Uchiha, but a warrior to mine. You don’t even believe in our religion. Do us a favor: Go. Away.”

“If you ask me to leave,” he deeply sighed, “how am I going to guide you to Madara?”

Tatsuo laughed like any mighty lord should laugh. “Well said, well said.”

The Lord’s son was pissed off that veins on his forehead were visible enough to see from a distance. Ignoring the smart remark, Ryūjin grabbed the last shinobi by the shoulder and pierced the enemy directly to the heart with his hand. Obito observed the young Hagoromo, using his Sharingan and Rinnegan. The man was absorbing the shinobi’s chakra with his hand and stored it up on his forehead, at the exact point where his clan’s symbol was. The shinobi’s life was drained out as well, leaving his body with skin and bones. Once satisfied, he dropped the dead body to the ground.

 _These Hagoromo… they’re barbaric and dangerous..._ he thought.

“The way you’re absorbing and stripping the chakra,” he said, directing his words to the Lord of Hagoromo, “such technique is similar to one of my late comrades’. Much like yours, he used the Samehada blade to absorb and strip his enemy’s chakra, a technique known to the Hidden Mist.”

“Hmm... you’re very observant. I’ve never heard of this ‘Samehada blade’ or your comrade who wielded it,” the Lord commented as he rubbed his chin with his forefingers. “There wasn’t a need to feed on chakra back on the island because the island itself was our source of life. Since we’re so far away from home, we have no choice but to feed on the shinobi.”

The same black rod- just like the one from the tortured dungeon- was extracted from Tatsuo’s palm. Such technique was similar to Madara’s. The Lord of Hagoromo dragged an injured shinobi to clearer ground before stabbing the rod through the shinobi’s sternum (avoiding the heart) and pushing it into the Earth. The shinobi cried in pain. His mouth then gurgling with blood. Blood, the color of deep red, flowed to the ground, increasing the size of the bloody pool.

“What are you doing?” he asked, while keeping down his sudden disgust.

“Our ritual,” the Lord simply replied. “Pay in debt with blood and chakra. Do you see it?”

With his unique eyes, the chakra flowed to the ground in a mix of blood before melting into the earth. It was no wonder there were so many impaled bodies in Lord Tatsuo’s dungeon.

“Where did it go to?”

Mariko giggled innocently. She approached to him and stared with her innocent big doll-eyes. “Everything that has a beginning has its end,” she smiled, “When man dies, he left a hole in his love ones and generally crosses over into the spirit world while his personality, memories and legacy remain. The same thing that could be said for all shinobi, except for their chakra energy. Chakra doesn’t just disappear. Where do you think the chakra go when a shinobi dies?”

“It remains on earth…” his mind lingered to the obvious answer and his eyes shot directly to Tatsuo, “… and returns to its origin: The Shinju.”

“And that, my boy,” the Lord of Hagoromo sinisterly smiled in approval, “is lesson number one.”


	17. Chapter 17

The morning light greeted Kakashi’s weary eyes. He woke up and found himself in a hospital bed… again. He looked over to his right arm and noticed an I.V plug attached to his vein and a drip line that led to the clear bag hanging on the pole. He was under the administration of I.V therapy. His gazes then turned to his surroundings. Its white-painted walls made everything around him duller than ever and the smell of the hospital just made it worse.

 _Damn it…_ he silently cursed.

This must be the fortieth time he has gotten himself admitted. By now, the doctors and nurses must have gotten use to him checking in and out of this building. He did joke about it once, thinking about making this place as his permanent home.

The last he remembered was talking to Obito in another dimension. It was a smart move to trap him in that complicated dome. Whenever he tried to break the wall or scratch it, he would always end up under a special genjutsu spell- the kind that was similar to Itachi’s _Magen: Kasegui no Jutsu_.

It was cruel to remind him of that unfaithful day. It hurt him even more when his former friend refused to kill him. His life now was a constant reminder of the broken promise, and that Rin's death was the caused of Obito’s hatred towards the shinobi world. The man he had looked up to still refused to return to Konoha. He already accepted for being called ‘Trash’. However, to be called ‘Nothing’ had almost taken the life out of him. Almost, because despite everything, he still believed in Obito. It was his responsibility to understand and take that hatred away from him. But the things Obito did were unforgivable to the eyes of the five countries. His death was the only way that could compensate the world.

He almost killed Obito during the fourth war. If it wasn’t for Minato-sensei, he would have done it. When their sensei apologized for Rin’s death (blaming himself with it), Kakashi and Obito found themselves in vulnerable state- guilt and tears.

But then Obito mentioned the most vulgar thing:

‘ _Kill me… or don’t kill me. If I was someone else, you would have done it without an ounce of resist… Sorry is a hardest word for me to accept from the likes of you… You and your wife deserve to die… I shouldn’t have trusted Rin to you... Even if I die and reborn in the next world, I will never forgive you… Ever…_ ’

And just like that, a black Zetsu appeared out of nowhere and overtook Obito’s body, before disappearing into the earth only to reappear by Madara’s side.

A knock on the door snapped Kakashi back to reality. The Hokage entered the room along with Sai, Shizune and the pig.

“Kakashi, how are you?” the Hokage asked.

“Drained as always,” he sighed deeply, “but I’ll manage. He finally made his appearance in the dome.”

“Was he able to-?”

He shook his head.

“I’d tried to persuade him. He… He won’t listen. Not to worry. I’ll try again once I gain my strength.”

“Don’t push yourself too hard. It will only put yourself back in here.”

“Now that you mentioned it, how long was I out?” he asked curiously.

“Three days,” The Hokage answered. “You were lucky to have Sai by your side. He flew you all the way here.”

Usually it took Kakashi a day to regain consciousness. The worst was two weeks.

“Thank you, Sai.” He nodded to his teammate. “I couldn’t be here without you.”

“Ah… No problem.” He gave a genuine smile.

A nurse approached the Hokage and handed over a medical chart. Tsunade read it through.

“Right… According to this,” the Hokage assured, “your condition is stable. Just to take an extra precaution, I’ll have the nurse run another two more pies of Normal Saline to keep you hydrate over twenty-four hours. And you need to rest well. No mission until you are hundred percent healed. I will not discharge you before that.”

The Hokage was about to leave when Kakashi asked, “By the way, did my boys behave well when I was out on mission?”

“…”

“Oh, oh…” He straightened his back. His body was no longer relaxed. “By the silence, I can tell it means trouble.”

“I got a feeling that Sasuke was up to something. He’s very… sneaky and slithering. You understand how he is.”

“Yeah… I guess so.” Kakashi could only stare at his fingers. He knew that the young Uchiha still bears a sense of hatred, just like Obito did.

 _Trash… Nothing… And now, Useless…_ he thought.

“After you had told me about Uchiha Itachi,” Tsunade exhaled, “I couldn’t believe it myself. I had the Elders questioned but they kept their lips tight. I want to trust that boy, Kakashi, I do. But he’s making it difficult.”

“Sasuke can be… difficult to handle if you don’t understand him.”

“Naruto is on his side. That ought to count for something, right? If he trusts Sasuke enough, then so will I,” she paused. “I’m not going to stop your efforts of trying to bring Obito back to Konoha. Much like Naruto to Sasuke, you’re the only person who can understand you friend. But you have to understand the cost he has to pay.”

Kakashi looked down at his hand- the hand that pierced through Rin’s heart- and clenched it into a tight fist.

 _I’m a Murderer_.

* * *

Ichiraku Ramen takeaways. _Check_.

Two bottles of Sake. _Check_.

Flowers. _Check_.

Showered and covered in deodorant. _Double check_.

His new tracksuit and coat neatly ironed. _Looking awesome and check_.

“Now, it’s time to meet the parents,” Naruto spoke aloud as he stood outside Sakura’s house.

He has to admit. This new look brought out the badass in him. On the inside, he wore a black long sleeve shirt with half zipper on the collar. The loose long sleeves covered his wrists just like his father’s clothing style. The long black pants have orange stripes that covered all the way to his feet. To make it cooler, he tugged it in with his new mid-calf shinobi boots. He had left the jersey jacket at home and wore a short sleeve red coat instead to make himself look formal. The black flames pattern on the hemline gave more details to his version of ‘badass-ism’.

**_Naruto-yo… I don’t want to brag but you look more like a gangster who wants to force your way to marry their daughter..._ **

Naruto grumbled while Kurama laughed.

While crossing path with Team Eight at Ino’s flower shop, Kiba and Shino almost said the same the same thing. Somehow. Everyone looked at him with a gawking face when he had walked in. Hinata was blushing profusely and stuttering when calling his name. Ino smiled in supporting of her shy friend, whereas Kiba and Shino wondered if he had finally made the decision on taking over the Hyūga clan by marrying the heiress. He neither understood what they were talking about nor catching the fuzz of his makeover. Since Sasuke mentioned to keep it a secret, Naruto couldn’t really explain to the others on the intention of his makeover. All he did was paid for the flowers, smiled to everyone (especially to Hinata) and walked away.

“Must look good when meeting the parents,” he explained. “I don’t want them to think badly of me. There’s a chance, ya know…”

**_After you had paraded yourself around the village with that Hyūga girl, I don’t think so… Haruno Kizashi is the type who cares and worries great deal about his daughter. He must have learned that you’re currently dating the heiress from a well-known clan. What makes you think he will give you the chance with his daughter?_ **

“That was just a date,” he brushed it away.  His blue eyes kept staring at Sakura’s room. Unconsciously, he squeezed the bouquet of flowers in his hand.

**_You’re still angry with her…_ **

“Isn’t it obvious?” he scoffed.

**_It’s very obvious when I can sense that you’re still hurt and that you’re jealous of Sasuke…_ **

“To a certain extend but not too obvious.”

**_And it’s obvious that no matter how much you’re angry with her, you still do care about her… Naruto-yo… Don’t lose your focus… Remember our mission… We’re here to learn about them…_ **

“Ah…”

It was easier said than done. Even though Naruto truly despised studying, he had spent a lot of time in the library day and night to search the meaning of the Haruno’s clan symbol. So much that he had gone digging into the deepest and darkest part of the library and found a huge scroll called ‘ _The Lineage & Histories of All Clans of Konoha’_. In the scroll, he found the names of sons and daughters from different clans such as the Senju, Uchiha, Nara, Yamanaka, Akimichi and even the Sarutobi. There were so many clans and names. He even had come across the Namikaze’s and Uzumaki’s names (not in clans) on the updated list. There, under the section of Namikaze was his father’s name and beside it was his mother’s name of the Uzumaki line. When the two lines conjoined, the unison lines dropped to his name.

He was pretty sure that what he was searching for must be in this scroll. Yet, after days of careful research, he found it was rather odd that he couldn’t find Haruno’s name on it. He questioned if the Haruno was part of Konoha, why weren’t their names part of the list? Kurama thought that the Haruno was not a clan, and that they were just simple shinobi serving the village. He also thought that the Haruno’s name wasn’t worth of mentioning in the scroll. That was _his_ conclusion of Haruno’s names being excluded from the list.

Naruto thought otherwise. He had met the Hokage and inquired about Sakura’s family. Only to have Tsunade-Baachan and Shizune confirmed Kurama’s conclusion: the Haruno were just normal shinobi, and that they were not from a highly-accomplished or well-known family. He refused to give up. So, he checked every book in the library, including those stolen scrolls from Shinkirōgakure. It didn't come to a surprise that he came up with another dead end.

His search didn’t add up. The Uzumaki weren’t originally part of Konoha’s clans. And yet, their names were on it through marriages. Even his own name was updated and listed under a new branch of Uzumaki clan. It confused him further because big or small- known or unknown- Haruno’s names supposed to be on that scroll. And yet, it wasn’t. These people have to come from somewhere.

At the end of his research, he concluded that one, the Haruno’s clan symbol was everywhere and no one even notice it. Two, there wasn’t any explanation or a description about it. And three, there must be a reason why the Huruno’s names weren’t on that scroll.

Naruto straightened up his clothes. He fixed his blonde hair before climbing up the stairs and knocked on the door. Suddenly- he felt butterflies whirling in his stomach.

The door swung open and Haruno Mebuki stood there to greet him. The golden-hair woman wore a simple off-white dress with three red circular designs at the bottom of her skirt. Her emerald green eyes- just like her daughter’s- brought out the color to her fair skin.

“Naru- I mean… Uzumaki-san,” Mebuki corrected. The expression on her face pretty much told him that his visit wasn’t a welcoming sight. “What are you doing here?”

“I- I brought you gifts! I, uh… I just dropped by to say hello and check on you and your husband,” he stuttered, shoving the bags to her.

“Why are you dressed up so formally?” she asked. Her voice was stern as though she was concerned about something.

“I… I-” Suddenly, his confidence was thrown off the balance.

**_I TOLD YA! SHIT! CALM YOURSELF DOWN, IDIOT! REMEMBER WHAT WE’D REHEARSED!_ **

Mebuki took the bags and peeked inside.

“Ramen and Sake? And a bouquet of pink carnations too?” She nodded at the flowers. “How generous of you. To what occasion are we to celebrate?”

Naruto bowed and gave the flowers to her. “Forgive me for the uncalled visit. I-It’s about Sakura-chan. I would like to inform an update about her.”

Mebuki blinked and waited.

 “Ano… M-May I come in?” he asked with an innocent tone.

Seconds of silence seemed like hours.  Naruto felt like running away and calling off the mission. But the unexpected happened and Mebuki opened the door wider to gesture him in. He removed his boots and left it in the entrance foyer. He was offered a drink, but since he was going to be here for a short while and that alcohol would make him lose focus, he asked for tea instead.

“ _Anata_ , Uzumaki Naruto is here,” she called over her shoulder and returned her attention to the blonde shinobi. “You can take a seat on the couch. I’ll prepare the tea.”

Naruto took a bow before Mebuki disappeared into the kitchen. He didn’t have to wait for too long because Kizashi walked out of a room to greet him. He was wearing a dark grey haori with maroon pants. The shape of his pink hair was like the flower of Sakura. Apparently, emerald green eyes were part of the trademark in the family. Naruto instantly bowed to greet the man of the house.

“Oh, Uzumaki-san. It’s an honor. Please, have a seat,” he smiled and gestured to the couch.

While Naruto settling onto the loveseat, Kizashi sat on single seater across from him. He was lucky that Sakura’s father was a light-hearted man; for he, at most, could relax.

“Is this about my daughter?” Kizashi asked.

“Yes. Well… I-”

“I have to object.”

“Eh?!” Naruto was confused. His mouth was left hanging. “I’m confused.”

**_I’m not…_ **

“Well, the way you formally dressed,” Kizashi pointed, “it’s like you want to force your way to take my daughter’s hand. I refuse to accept it.”

“Why?” His voice strained. Even though it wasn’t the main topic to discuss, he still wanted to know the reason.

“Aren’t you dating that heiress from the Hyūga clan?”

“Ah,” he scratched his head, “It was just one date.”

“ _Oro_ …” Kizashi leaned in. His face was beaming with interest. “Does this mean you don’t like her?”

“I do… Well… It’s complicated…” Explaining his personal life was difficult enough and he didn’t feel like sharing.

“What is so complicated? Just marry the heiress. You’ll get a new name and become filthy rich!” Kizashi laughed out loud while Naruto didn’t. He just sat there and tried to absorb the joke.

“ _Anata_ ,” Mebuki approached, carrying a tray of refreshments, “he meant his relationship _is_ complicated. Not the situation.” She giggled as she poured some tea into the teacups and hand one over to Naruto. He gladly accepted it and took a sip.

“Oh…” Kizashi beamed. “Even if you break up with the heiress, I still must object your proposal because my daughter is not around to accept you, get it?”

There was a short laugh and then the hall turned into an awkward silence because they realized that their daughter around. Naruto felt their sadness and loneliness just from looking at their faces. After Sakura resided her alliance with the enemies, the Haruno were shun away and people gave them the cold shoulder, stigmatizing them as betrayals. Some of them thought that they deserved to be jailed simply because their daughter is the enemy of the Shinobi Alliance. Another reason why he was angry with Sakura.

“I’m here because we’re trying to find Sakura-chan,” Naruto decided to get down to business.

“ _Chan_? Such honorific title you’ve blessed upon my daughter,” Mebuki said. When she was about to say further, Kizashi put up his hand to allow Naruto to have his chance to explain.

“Thank you, Haruno-san. Like I’d said, I’m here to find your daughter. And I need your help so that I can bring her back to Konoha.”

“What can I do to help you with?” Kizashi asked, giving all his attention.

“That circle symbol on your wife’s dress? Would you explain to me what it means?”

 Kizashi leaned back. His fingers were on his lips and his emerald green eyes never left those electric blue ones as he took his time studying the Hero of Konoha.

“We’re just simple shinobi. The ‘zero’ sign practically means that we’re nothing. It has been with us the moment I’m married to my wife. Since I’m not a known shinobi, I adopted it from her side of the family. We’re not even strong like the Yamanaka clan or yours for that matter.”

“But I wasn’t asking about-”

“I’m curious,” Kizashi cut him off, “as to how this question is going to bring my daughter back?”

Naruto knew that Kizashi was avoiding his question. He only wanted an explanation of the Haruno’s clan symbol. He didn’t ask if the Haruno was a strong or a weak shinobi. He stared at the head of the Haruno’s house. The man simply stared in return.

“It’s just so odd,” Naruto started to roll his game. “Few days ago, I came across this very interesting scroll in the library. It’s about the sons and daughters of different Clans of Konoha.”

“Really?” Kizashi shifted in his seat.

“Yes. It’s so interesting because there were many shinobi names on that list, and many different type of clans showing different type of linages which can be dated back to the founding of Konoha. And yet,” Naruto paused, “it was weird because I couldn’t find your family’s names on it. Not yours or your wife’s. And not even Sakura’s. I mean, since you’ve mentioned that you adopted the symbol from your wife’s side of the family, your name should be updated on that scroll. Hack, even I have my own section of the family tree. So, I’m curious as to why your names- including Sakura’s- weren’t on that list?”

**_You got them where you want them, kid! Well done! Make sure your voice doesn’t sound accusing…_ **

“We moved to Konoha twenty-five years ago. So,” Kizashi paused to drink his tea. “I highly doubt a weak shinobi like us would ever make it to that scroll. Two people don’t make a clan. Not to mention three of us, right?”

 _Wrong_ , Naruto thought.

“You keep mentioning ‘clans’, when I mentioned ‘family tree’. The numbers of members in a shinobi family shouldn’t be a matter. Big members or small, your names should be on that scroll. Like mine- one member of my own.”

The Haruno were silence. Naruto didn’t want to pressure the Haruno. If he keeps pressing on, he might scare them away.

“Is it okay with you if I look around Sakura-chan’s room? I miss her. A lot.”

Kizashi arched his eyebrows and shortly after, he nodded, giving Naruto the permission to enter his daughter’s room.

Naruto went into Sakura’s room and shut the door. Behind closed door, he pressed his ear against it and listened in.

Nothing so far.

He turned and glance around the room. It was clean and neat. Books were properly arranged on the shelves. Her study desk was clear and there wasn’t any dust on it.

Sakura’s bed was situated by the window. And just like him, she preferred a room with a view. The comfortable sight of the bed was very inviting, and thus, he slid the window open and decided to lie down for a short nap. Her pillow still has her fragrance- light and cherry sweet.

 _Sakura-chan, when I get my hands on you... I will never let you out of my sight… Ever,_ he promised.

Naruto didn’t get the chance to take a quick nap because suddenly, there was a knock on the door. He sat up when Kizashi walked in.

“I’m sorry, Uzumaki-san. My wife and I need to grab something for dinner. I’m afraid you have to leave. Now.”

It was exactly what Naruto and Kurama expected. He wore his boots at the entrance foyer before bowing and saying his farewells to the Haruno.

Naruto smiled as he walked down the stairs.

* * *

“Is he gone?” Mebuki asked her husband in a hush tone. She folded her arms across her chest and bit her lips.

From the window, Kizashi was observing the Hero of Konoha as he walked away and finally disappeared into the crowd.

“Yes. He’s gone.”

“Did you hear what he’d called her? An honorific name! How close was he to her?!”

He faced his panicking wife. “Close enough to be in love with her. You and I both saw it in his eyes. And through those eyes, I saw the determination. I believed that he- together with that young Uchiha- will bring her back.”

“I already disliked the fact that she was closed to those two boys. You should have let me pull Sakura out of that academy the moment she had turned into a genin, and before she was placed under the same group as them! None of this would have happened if you had allowed me to-”

“I didn’t expect this to happen.” He sunk into deep thoughts. His mind focusing onto the conversation he had with Naruto. His forefingers rubbing his chin gently. “This Uzumaki… he can be troublesome for us.”

“You’d said you would ‘handle’ it.”

“I did. And I’ve paid a lot of money to keep it as it was. And yet, he was able to figure something so… inessential.”

Mebuki then neared herself to her husband and whispered, “Do you think he knows?”

He slowly shook his head. “No, I don’t think he does.

* * *

 

Kurama- in a form of a Naruto’s clone- was hiding in Sakura’s room. He could hear Kizashi and Mebuki talking about his host. It was exactly what he and Naruto had predicted.

Before Naruto went up the stairs to meet the Haruno, his host had made a clone and Kurama made the switch. He waited patiently by the window while communicating and guiding Naruto via his mental telepathy. His host purposely left Sakura’s window open, wide enough for him to sneak in through and stay hidden.

Kurama’s mission was to follow wherever the Haruno go, observe who they meet and listen to any conversation they talk. He grinned in excitement. He quickly sent a message to Naruto using the conscious level he shared with his host.

**_I’m in, kid. You were right... There's something peculiar about the Haruno..._ **


End file.
